Help in disasters, crises and conflicts overseas

From Wednesday 24 May, all funds raised through our International Disaster Fund will be directed to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

In mid-April, fighting broke out across Sudan, particularly in the capital Khartoum. Over a month later, violence is continuing in many parts of the country, killing hundreds of people and forcing hundreds of thousands from their homes in search of safety.

This latest flare-up of violence comes on top of years of fighting, instability, and economic turmoil that has left millions of people in Sudan unable to meet their basic needs. These needs will now tragically rise because of the violence we are seeing today.

The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) is leading the humanitarian response on the ground in Sudan, supporting those affected with the provision of first aid, emergency relief items, food, clean water, and medical supplies. SRCS is being supported by both the IFRC and ICRC to scale up its humanitarian response.

Donations to the International Disaster Fund from 24 May will help provide relief to communities affected by the violence. This will enable Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to address the humanitarian impacts of the conflict in Sudan.

If you have lost contact with relatives in Sudan due to the current situation, our Restoring Family Links team may be able to help. Get in contact Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (AEST) on 1800 875 199 or email tracing@redcross.org.au.

An update on the Sudan Crisis from Susan Cullinan, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Nairobi, Kenya.

About the International Disaster Fund

From 24 May 2023, all donations to the International Disaster Fund will support our response to the crisis in Sudan. That support may include:

  • emergency assistance such as support to hospital and health facilities, first aid, shelter, protection and distribution of essential relief items.  
  • specialist aid workers to assist local teams to respond to the crisis. 
  • monitoring and evaluation of the operation.

Australian Red Cross provides funding to the following regional partners:

Indonesian Red Cross Society (Pelang Merah Indonesia)
Mongolian Red Cross Society
Myanmar Red Cross Society
Timor-Leste Red Cross Society (Cruz Vermelha de Timor Leste)
Fiji Red Cross Society
Papua New Guinea Red Cross Society
Solomon Islands Red Cross Society
Tonga Red Cross Society
Vanuatu Red Cross Society

The International Disaster Fund enables Australian Red Cross to support the lifesaving work of Red Cross and Red Crescent partners in countries affected by disasters, crises and conflict. This may include disaster preparedness, risk mitigation, emergency response and recovery activities.

From time to time, we may use the fund to respond to a specific disaster event for a set period of time. All donations made during that period will be directed to Red Cross’ work on that event.

Donations over $2 to the International Disaster Fund are tax-deductible in Australia. You will get a receipt in your name in an email when you donate online.

When the fund is used for a specific event, your donation is also tax deductible because it supports our work with countries classified as ‘developing countries’ for the purposes of the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme.

Australian Red Cross will not deduct more than 10 per cent of money raised to cover indirect essential costs such as receipting donations, IT costs, costs to send the money overseas and overheads. Any interest earned on donations will be invested back into the appeal.

We really appreciate the generosity but we’re unable to distribute donated goods, especially overseas. There are several good reasons for this. Every item has to be checked, cleaned, sorted, packed, transported, stored and distributed, which hugely increases the cost of the relief effort and diverts from work that may be needed on the ground. 

When we provide relief supplies, they are carefully selected, packed for quick distribution and customs clearance, and checked to ensure they are what people really need.

Unwanted boxes of donated goods can clog ports and post offices and actually prevent the delivery of essential items like medicines and relief supplies.

The website DonateResponsibly.org has a great explanation of what can go wrong.

But if you have good-quality clothes or household items, our Red Cross Shops would gratefully accept them, to on-sell in Australia and raise funds for our vital work.

Find your nearest Red Cross shop.

Red Cross will use the personal information you have provided for the primary purpose of processing your donation. If you agree to receive marketing materials from us about our work, we may also use this information to contact you. You can opt out or request amendments to the personal information at any time by emailing contactus@redcross.org.au or calling 1800 RED CROSS (733 276). We take your privacy seriously; you can refer to our privacy policy for more information.

Charity donations of $2 or more to Australian Red Cross may be tax deductible in Australia. Site protected by Google Invisible reCAPTCHA. © Australian Red Cross 2023. ABN 50 169 561 394