Humanitarian work
Through its humanitarian work, Save the Children seeks to ensure that children’s needs are given priority on all crisis situations and that their rights to survival, growth, and development are respected and protected.
In any crises, children are always the most vulnerable. In 2019 Save the Children responded to over 130 humanitarian emergencies in 64 countries. Our emergency response, preparedness and disaster risk reduction work reached 10.6 million children and 7.3 million adults. Save the Children Finland participated in this humanitarian work.
Save the Children operates in about 120 countries.
Children and their families affected by various catastrophes are given protection, food, health care, clean water and essential necessities. We also ensure that children receive protection in crisis conditions. We help children recover by providing psychosocial support and safe places to learn and play.
Save the Children also supports community disaster preparedness. Together with local inhabitants we draw up disaster preparedness plans suited to local conditions, train children and adults about the proper way to act in the event of a disaster, and promote various ways to help minimise the risks of disaster.
The smallest suffer the most during war
The child in the picture is an innocent victim of the war in Syria. She is only three years old, but already has had to flee the horrors of the war with her family. After the life threatening getaway trip the family has lived in an abandoned coal stock, where everything is cover with coal dust. It endangers the health of children. The smallest and weakest suffer the most during Syrian war. Small children don’t even know what it is like to live in security in their own homes.
Save the Children will make every effort to ensure that children in Syria, including the girl in the picture, receive food, medical care and shelter. We support families who live in refugee camps or abandoned buildings that they can prepare for the cold. We distribute, for example, blankets, winter clothes and heating appliances. Read more about our work in the Middle East, in Syria and Iraq.
People are escaping war and misery to Europe
The innocent children suffer at the borders of Europe. They are fleeing because of war and hunger. But instead of security and heat they are greeted by a barbed-wire fences and even tear gas. Many children will have to spend the night under the open sky in vain to shield covers or tents. They are cold and scared.
Save the Children is helping children who are arriving to Europe as migrants, for example, in Greece, on the border of Macedonia and the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way we share them food, raincoats and baby clothes. Also the 3-year-old boy in the picture got raincoat from us. Read more about our work in the Europe.
Children don’t get enough food and clean water
The baby in the photo is getting treatment to acute malnutrition and respiratory infection oat the Save the Children’s health clinic in Somalia. Millions of people in East Africa are suffering food and water shortages, which is the result of the worst drought in decades. Save the Children is sharing emergency aid in East Africa. We are sharing food, medicines and clean water. We also help those families that have lost their livelihood to acquire livelihood. Read more about our work in Africa, in Somalia and Burkina Faso.