Disaster Relief

Disaster can strike anytime and anywhere. In 2010, natural disasters affected nearly 208 million people and resulted in $110 billion in economic cost, according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters.

When disasters occur in a place where we operate, our local staff are on hand to find out the most essential needs of the community and how we can help.

• In Pakistan, we stepped in to provide emergency relief to some 1,500 tobacco farm families left homeless by raging floodwaters, and also provided relief to more than 10,000 people who fled the recent fighting in northwestern Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan.
• In Chile, more than 10,000 earthquake victims were left homeless. We contributed to fund the construction of 66 new houses. With the collaboration of more than 300 volunteers, the houses were constructed through quickly and efficiently assembled specially designed pre-fab kits. Our contribution helped give 66 families a chance to regain their footing after this natural disaster had taken away so much from them.
• In Indonesia, Sampoerna Search and Rescue (SAR) Team provided rapid humanitarian response to help victims of major natural disasters that struck this Southeast Asian country - flash flooding in West Papua and the eruption of Mt. Merapi, a volcano near Yogyakarta. The SAR team missions provided: medical services to over 500 people affected by the floods; and, shelter tents for up to 300 victims, food to some 7,000 refugees and medical assistance to over 700 patients, all affected by the volcano eruption.