Disaster Relief Organizations
Disaster relief organizations are essential for a quick response in areas impacted by earthquakes, fires, floods and other emergency situations. When these events occur, how do you pick a trusted organization to support? Here are some questions you can ask. After each one, you’ll see the answer from GFA World, a trusted disaster relief organization in South Asia and parts of Africa.[1] According to Department of Homeland Security data, natural disasters cause significant fatalities and economic loss each year in the United States.
During a crisis, people often need help right away. A steady, compassionate emergency response can bring practical relief and a sense of care. If you give from the United States, you may also want to make sure the organization is tax exempt and can provide the records you need.[5]
It can also help to look for groups that practice disaster preparedness before a crisis begins.[6] This can matter after events as different as seasonal flooding or a major storm like hurricane Helene that draws wide attention and urgent needs.[7] Early planning allows teams to respond faster when disaster strikes.
When disasters occur, how do you respond?
Disaster Relief Organizations help in various ways. They generally have a specialty. Some bring food and supplies to disaster areas. Others sift the ashes of burned buildings. Other organizations seek to meet the medical and emotional needs of survivors. When considering which relief organizations to support, we encourage you to find out what types of help are offered to those affected. When you compare options, you can ask what disaster services look like in the first days, and what support continues after that.
FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Framework recognizes that recovery efforts often begin while emergency response is still underway.
You can also ask if help includes food, water and other basics that families may not be able to find right away. If local markets are functioning, you can ask whether financial assistance is offered in a careful, respectful way so families can choose what they need most. Stress and grief can linger. You can ask what kind of listening care is available, and whether people can be connected with mental health support when needed.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides disaster behavioral health resources to support emotional recovery after traumatic events.
GFA’s answer: GFA World serves victims of many different types of disasters, such as earthquakes, cyclones, tsunamis and floods. When a natural disaster wipes out homes, crops and livelihoods in an instant, families who are already living in poverty have very little hope for the future. The help GFA offers takes many forms—food, clothing, clean water, shelter, counseling and prayer. This humanitarian relief addresses both immediate survival needs and longer-term stability. GFA missionaries also provide long-term solutions as communities rebuild. Relief often starts with urgent needs, but it can also include patient follow-through as families repair homes, replace tools, and regain steady routines.
How long does it take to respond?
Some organizations can respond immediately. Others take days or months to gear up. Often, both types are needed to provide adequate response to those who need help. For example, an organization may show up immediately but then need to leave to help in another emergency.[2] Another organization can take their place and provide ongoing help.
As you evaluate a group, you can ask how they plan to hand off work, share updates, and avoid gaps in care. You can also ask how they support recovery operations after the first wave of emergency help. Clear coordination between teams prevents confusion and ensures consistent support for affected communities. If you’re thinking beyond the first week, you can ask how the organization approaches disaster recovery once families begin rebuilding.
GFA’s answer: GFA pastors and missionaries serve people in need where they live and work, so they are often available to respond very quickly. They can meet the people’s immediate needs. Their presence in local communities means they understand cultural context and can maintain support through each phase of recovery.
In what regions do you work?
Many organizations focus on a particular region or country. This helps them have a quick response when disaster strikes. It can also help when teams already know the language and daily realities of the affected communities they serve. When you compare organizations, you can ask how they decide where to help first, and how they communicate progress in a simple, clear way.
Regional expertise allows organizations to navigate local systems and work effectively with authorities during crisis response.
GFA’s answer: GFA World has worked in South Asia since 1979, helping the poor in a variety of ways and providing assistance following disasters. More recently, GFA began operating in Africa too, beginning in Rwanda. This is the first of many African nations we hope to start ministry in. South Asia experiences frequent natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, and cyclones that affect millions each year.
How long do you stay and is there on-going help?
Ask if the organization has an exit strategy and how long they are generally able to help in disaster areas. Discover their strategy for helping the local people of that area pick up the relief efforts. They can continue to make progress even after the organization is gone. What happens when the disaster relief volunteer leaves? Disasters can have long shadows.
Ask what long term recovery can look like, and what steady help remains when outside attention fades. According to the U.S. Department of Interior, disaster recovery focuses on restoring, redeveloping, and revitalizing communities as they recover and rebuild.
You can also ask about partnering with local leaders who understand the community’s needs and can guide wise next steps. If you’re looking for hands-on ways to help, you can ask about volunteer opportunities that fit your skills and season of life.
GFA’s answer: GFA World missionaries serve in the same countries in which they live. They are familiar with the people, culture and language. This means that their emergency relief and services will be available long after other organizations are forced to move to their next response effort. GFA has established work in South Asia and Africa and is positioned to step in quickly and stay in those communities for as long as needed. This sustained presence allows relationships of trust to develop, which strengthens the impact of ongoing support.
What people do you help?
Ask if the organization works specifically with one people group or religion. Some faith based disaster relief organizations help their own. Others seek to help all people, based on need or other criteria. As you ask this question, it can help to look for a clear commitment to serve people based on need, with respect and fairness.
You can also ask how the organization protects dignity during distributions, especially when families are under pressure and resources are limited. Equitable relief practices ensure that vulnerable populations receive assistance without discrimination.
GFA’s answer: While GFA World is a Christian organization, it serves all people groups and religions. For example, when a clean water well is drilled, it is accessible to all people, no matter the religion, people group or status. A local church maintains the well and makes sure it is equally accessible to all people. This approach demonstrates care for entire communities, strengthening social cohesion during recovery.
In September of 2022, GFA World launched an aid effort to provide help to people in Pakistan who were affected by a monsoon. Massive flooding occurred due to heavy monsoon rains, engulfing a third of the country. Over 1500 lives were lost, and 33 million people were impacted.[3]
According to UN OCHA reports, the floods destroyed over 1.14 million houses and damaged critical infrastructure throughout Pakistan. GFA stepped in with basic medical supplies, water, food and clothing. They found millions of displaced families sleeping in the open, hungry for food and clean water.
The disaster affected families and communities across multiple provinces, requiring coordinated relief from local and international organizations.
“Having been born and raised in a flood-prone region of South Asia, I’m intimately familiar with the devastation flooding can cause,” said K.P. Yohannan (Metropolitan Yohan), founder of GFA. “I’ve seen the grief and hopelessness that surrounds people who’ve lost loved ones, homes or livelihoods. When they realize they’re not alone and will be taken care of, their hope surges.”[4]
Your disaster relief donations to GFA World help the organization’s compassion services teams provide essential items like food, blankets, medicine, temporary shelters and other emergency supplies. When disaster strikes, people suffer. We’re ready to step in with compassion and tangible help. Join us in these efforts. If you’re deciding where to give, you can look for clear reporting, thoughtful care for people, and a commitment to stay present as needs change over time.
Learn more about child labor[1] “Disaster Relief Work.” GFA World. https://www.gfa.org/compassion-services/disaster-flood-relief. Accessed November 16, 2022.
[2] “Disaster Relief: Phases of Disaster Relief.” University of Pennsylvania: The Center for High Impact Philanthropy. https://www.impact.upenn.edu/disaster-relief-phases-of-disaster-relief. Accessed November 16, 2022.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “GFA World Launches Aid Effort Amid Pakistan’s Deadly ‘Monsoon on Steroids.'” GFA World. https://gfanews.org/press-releases/gfa-world-launches-aid-effort-amid-pakistan-deadly-monsoon-on-steroids. September 2, 2022.
[5] Internal Revenue Service. “Exemption Requirements – 501(c)(3) Organizations.” Accessed January 12, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/exemption-requirements-501c3-organizations.
[6] UNDRR. “Definition: Preparedness.” August 30, 2007. https://www.undrr.org/terminology/preparedness.
[7] NOAA National Hurricane Center. Hurricane HELENE Advisory Archive. Accessed January 12, 2026. https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2024/HELENE.shtml.