Our year in review

Together we can

Red Cross volunteer Soraya handing a care package to Shaun in Bairnsdale, Victoria during the bushfire emergency in January 2020. Shaun and his young family had been forced to evacuate multiple times. Red Cross was able to support with groceries and items for their 12-day-old daughter Rosy. Photo: Rodney Dekker

Help in emergencies and disasters

The humanitarian crises created by the cumulative effects of drought, bushfires, floods and the pandemic this year have been devastating.

They inspired remarkable generosity, acts of kindness, and collaboration which has made these extraordinary outcomes possible.

$227M
funds raised for disaster relief and recovery

83,715
people assisted, including
49,718
people from 37 fires

63
emergency events responded to across Australia

4,789
volunteers, members and staff mobilised and supporting communities

$119M
paid in bushfire response grants to
4,380
people by 30 June 2020

65,000
Australians supported through their quarantine and mandatory isolation due to COVID-19, with 125,267 Psychological First Aid calls, 14,500 meals each month, and 3,800 relief kits

201,000
wellbeing check-in calls made to clients and supporters during the pandemic

313,477
people equipped to be prepared for and recover from disasters

Ceduna Community Hub connects people and builds trust, understanding, friendships and support. Hub staff (from left to right) Brenton Niemz, Karen Gardner, volunteer Ashley Sharpe, Rodney Short and Carmen Fricker. Photo: Aysha Leo

Building a humanitarian movement

We believe in the power of humanity. In preventing and alleviating human suffering in times of war and conflict, as well as in times of peace.

This year many more people got involved and took humanitarian action with Red Cross. Our collective impact is immense.

2.3M
people taking humanitarian action with
Red Cross

$54.1M
donated by the Australian public, in addition to emergency appeals

560,000
new donors

7,500
new volunteers

500
celebrated our commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions

10,000
people supported to better understand and welcome newly arrived migrants, including people seeking asylum and refugees

589%
increase in Instagram followers, with engagement up 366%

10
company partners joined a COVID Collective to increase the impact of their goodwill

Elie (on the right) and his family have been fleeing violence and persecution since he was a baby. Now he’s safe, studying maths, working as an interpreter, and he and his family are “living the best life we’ve ever dreamed about.” Photo: Dilini Perera

Walking alongside people experiencing extreme vulnerability

Millions of Australians are working hard to get themselves through challenging times.

Communities are under pressure; people have fallen through the cracks. Red Cross are playing a critical role, supporting people and communities, so they can find their inner strength and take their next steps.

Set up to deliver
$57M
in emergency relief ($50M of this for Victoria) to support
50,000
people on temporary or insecure visas

36,000
migrants supported in 18 languages

13,500
emergency relief payments and 11,000 food parcels delivered to migrants

4,000
refugees helped to settle in Australia, 40% were children

600
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples supported across nine communities

116
active volunteers who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

14,000
Soup Patrol meals delivered in WA with
46%
increase in demand during pandemic

137,000
meals on wheels delivered to 1,100 older Australians in Tasmania and ACT

43
active Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community led partnerships

1,500
people in the justice system supported

Support for
188
people from
33
different nationalities who were trafficked, forced into marriage or labour exploitation

1,000
in-depth interviews with people in immigration detention

124
inmates volunteers participated in the Community Based Health and First Aid program

2,337
people sought to restore family links broken by conflict, disaster or migration