Preparation
saves
lives
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Thank you so much for your generous donation.
Because of your support, New Zealand Red Cross can be there when and where the need is greatest – helping communities affected by disasters, crises, and hardship, both in New Zealand and around the world.
Your kindness helps ensure emergency support is ready when disaster strikes, and that people can receive practical assistance and care when they need it most.
From disaster response to everyday support in our communities, your generosity helps make a real and lasting difference.
Being prepared before disaster strikes can truly save lives.
P.S. As a thank you to our dedicated supporters, New Zealand Red Cross is excited to offer you a free online Will through our partners at Footprint. Writing a Will is one of the best ways to make a lasting legacy, helping to care for the people and causes that matter to you most. Click here to claim yours!
When disaster strikes, lives can change in an instant.
Recently, New Zealand Red Cross International Delegate Ellie van Baaren was in the Philippines following a series of devastating disasters – an earthquake followed by two powerful typhoons within weeks. Entire communities were overwhelmed by extreme winds, flooding, and destruction.
These events claimed hundreds of lives and forced millions of people to evacuate their homes.
Ellie witnessed the aftermath firsthand.
“There's a level of shock and devastation from the locals of having lost homes, livelihoods, or even loved ones. The overwhelming feeling that I'm getting from people here is exhaustion and uncertainty about what happens next.”
Typhoon Fung-Wong alone forced over 1.4 million people to flee. But while the impact was severe, it could have been far worse.
So what made the difference?
Preparation.
Red Cross teams were able to act early – supporting evacuations and helping families secure their homes with simple shelter strengthening kits made up of ropes and anchors.
For Eddie, this meant his home stayed standing. For Lilia, it meant protection during hours of extreme winds.
These simple measures helped people stay safer and recover faster.
Kia ora, I’m Ellie van Baaren, an International Delegate with New Zealand Red Cross.
Late last year, I was in the Philippines after a series of disasters struck one after another, including super Typhoon Fung-Wong.
The storms brought extreme winds, torrential rain, and widespread flooding.
More than 1.4 million people were forced to flee their homes, and millions more were left without power.
In a Typhoon like that, the wind sounds like a freight train and it’s so powerful that it can pick a whole house up off the ground.
It’s terrifying and doesn’t let you relax for even a minute.
After the storm, I travelled to affected communities to see how people had coped.
That’s where I met Lilia, a 71-year-old woman who lives with her daughter.
She spent eight hours sheltering under a table while the storm raged around them.
But after the storm passed, their home was still standing.
Lilia showed me the shelter strengthening kit installed with the help of Red Cross teams before the typhoon hit.
Ropes and anchors that helped hold her home together in those powerful winds.
Seeing this first-hand made it clear how much of a difference preparation can make.
We can’t prevent disasters from happening, but we can be ready.
Support like yours helps ensure Red Cross teams are trained and equipped, emergency supplies are pre-positioned and communication systems are in place so people can get the help they need, quickly.
Because when disasters strike, being prepared can save lives.
Thank you for your support.
Across the Pacific and here in New Zealand, disasters are becoming more frequent and more intense. While we cannot stop them, we can reduce their impact by being ready before they strike.
That means emergency supplies are in place, teams are trained and ready, and communication systems work even when networks fail.
The next disaster will happen. It is not a question of if, but when.
Together, we can be ready.
Whether in crisis, disaster, or conflict, your support helps deliver life-changing assistance to people where the need is greatest – here in New Zealand and around the world.
It also helps ensure practical support in our communities – from meals for people who need extra care, to helping former refugees settle and rebuild their lives in Aotearoa New Zealand.
It is your generosity that makes this possible – helping us be there in moments of crisis, recovery, and rebuilding.
Finally, don’t forget that when you make a donation of over $5.00, you could claim 33.33% back from IRD!
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