How you can help
Give money | This is the easiest and most effective way most people can help.
It’s likely that several New Zealand based NGOs will respond to a disaster. They will urgently need money for their work. You should look out for advertisements on TV and radio and in national newspapers. You can also check their websites to find out how you can make a donation.
And remember, if you are a New Zealand taxpayer, you are already helping to fund NZAID’s response to disasters and emergencies overseas, as well as its long-term work to fight global poverty.
Check websites | NZAID and New Zealand NGOs post regular updates on disasters
In the response to an emergency, the first few hours and days are crucial. So rather than telephoning NZAID or humanitarian agencies you should check their websites for regular updates about a disaster. This will help their staff to focus all of their attention on the emergency.
Specialist Skills | If you have specialist skills you could help save lives
People with specialist skills are often required and welcomed to help in the disaster area. If you have the necessary skills and would like to register for work in disaster-affected regions, you can register online with RedR or Volunteer Services Abroad. These agencies match people’s professional skills such as engineering (water, sanitation and mechanical), health, child protection, medical, search and rescue, logistics and telecommunications with the needs in the disaster-affected region. For a full list of professions needed to register with the RedR go to
www.redrnz.org.nz
However, if you do not have any specialist skills, do not go to the disaster area because you risk doing more harm than good. There is a high chance that after using up crucial travel, accommodation, food, or translation resources you may be unable to effectively contribute to the relief effort. Instead, help by volunteering in New Zealand. This can be vitally important to the disaster relief effort.
You could:
- Help to staff phone lines for an aid agency taking donations or providing public information.
- Organise local fundraising events through your community organisations, schools or workplace.
- Volunteer in a charity shop selling and sorting donated items.
If you want to equip yourself to work in humanitarian relief operations, you can seek advice from most aid agencies about getting the relevant training in areas including logistics, IT and telecommunications, medical search and rescue, specialist disasters assessment and healthcare. The large humanitarian agencies also carry a full list of current vacancies on their websites.
Don’t collect and send donated goods | Instead convert goods into cash
A common response to disasters overseas is to organise the collection and donation of goods that you think are urgently needed. Please avoid doing this because if you donate goods that haven’t specifically been requested by a humanitarian agency, these items may clog up airports and docks and actually prevent essential supplies from reaching people in the disaster-affected area.
If food, clothing and medical supplies are needed, the large United Nations agencies and major non-governmental organisations are geared up to provide bulk supplies quickly, without the need for sorting, packing, finding transportation costs or seeking permits. A cash donation helps them to buy whatever is needed most.
Page Last Reviewed: 18 February, 2008
Document URL: http://www.nzaid.govt.nz/what-we-do/how-you-can-help.html