The purpose of humanitarian aid is to save the lives, health and fulfil the basic needs of people who have been affected by a natural disaster or war, or who suffer from instability in their country. At the same time, we provides victims of disasters with psychological and material support and help them to cut loose.

Humanitarian aid is most often needed in crisis caused by war or natural disasters, such as floods, extreme droughts or earthquakes. We have been involved in helping people affected by the wars in Iraq, Syria and Nagorno-Karabakh, working with refugees in Zambia, but also providing assistance to victims of the Beirut Lebanon explosion or extreme frosts in Mongolia.

Although we emphasize development cooperation in our work, we are aware that humanitarian aid is absolutely essential in the event of disasters and war conflicts. We provide assistance to their victims, especially in the following areas.

Food Aid

The provision of basic primary foodstuffs is crucial immediately after a humanitarian catastrophe. In addition to traditional food distribution, we have also been involved in supporting school meals in Iraq, which aims to return children from poor families to schools.

Water, Hygiene and Sanitation

Access to drinking water and adequate hygiene and sanitation are essential to prevent the spread of serious infectious diseases and humanitarian disasters.

Providing Shelter and Restoration of Housing

The first step after the disaster is to provide temporary shelter in the area of housing, but very soon the damaged homes are being restored to allow the return of the affected residents to their homes as soon as possible.

Psychosocial Support

Any disaster, especially if it is associated with the loss of health, life, one's own home or violence, is psychologically very demanding. We therefore provide psychological care for victims, among other things.

Healthcare and Drug Distribution

The provision of health care and the distribution of drugs are an essential component of humanitarian aid.

Iraq

Iraq's recent history has been strongly influenced by armed conflict, sectarian violence and the volatile political situation.

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Ukraine

Since 2014, Caritas has been providing humanitarian aid to people affected by the conflict in the east of the country. In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, we have significantly expanded our humanitarian activities in the country to help people affected by the war. 

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Syria

We are currently mainly repairing war-torn houses in the Idlib province in northern Syria.

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April 14, 2022 News

Tanya fled to Poland with her younger son, the older one stayed with his father in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine writes many stories. Tanya Garhin's family is one of many the war has torn apart. Tanya went to Poland with her younger son, 16-year-old Dimitri stayed at home with his dad. Her eldest daughter remains in Ukraine with her husband and one-month-old daughter. We met Tanya and her son in Przemysl, where people like them received help from the local Caritas.

April 11, 2022 News

A story from the war: she said goodbye to her husband at the border, he had to stay in Ukraine

Ilyena left home with her nine-month-old son and her husband on 4th March 2022. They were hiding in a metro station and when it was no longer safe, they wanted to move to Poland by train. They reached the border after six days of driving.

April 11, 2022 News

5 ways Caritas Czech Republic is helping people affected by the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than a month. Throughout this time, we have seen a huge wave of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, with donors having already sent 121 million CZK to the Caritas for Ukraine collection. Thanks to them and the generous support of many companies and organisations, we are able to help Ukrainians at home and abroad. How does Caritas help people affected by the war?

April 7, 2022 News

Iryna left Kiev with her family. But they are staying in the country and want to help

Iryna Selina was born in Kiev and lived almost in the city centre. After the outbreak of the war, she moved with 4 adults and a child to Drohobych, in the west of Ukraine, where Caritas Ukraine operates. Our colleagues there help internally displaced people on the ground - providing them with food, clothing, accommodation and medical care. Read how the refugee group assesses the current situation and what their plans are.