Parts of Australia are experiencing unprecedented bushfire activity.
Since July 2019, Red Cross teams have responded to 30 emergencies (some of which have been going for up to 6 weeks) and supported over 18,600 people, through the efforts of more than 1,590 volunteers and staff.
Right now we’re supporting thousands of people in evacuation centres and recovery hubs across Australia.
Our Register.Find.Reunite service, which reunifies people who have been separated in the bushfire emergency, has registered over 30,000 people and taken more than 5,000 enquires.
It’s thanks to people like you.
Your donation helps Red Cross give people the support they need in disasters, whenever and wherever they happen. We have decades of experience in caring for people affected by earthquakes, cyclones, floods, storms, fire, drought and other emergencies.
This includes:
Thank you so much for your support of the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery effort. Your contribution has made an incredible impact. A summary of the impact of your donations to date is as follows; To date, $150 million has been donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery fund, with over $142 million being donated after 1 January 2020. More than $40 million has already been paid in emergency grants so far, with more than a million dollars in payments being made each day Our voluntary advisory panel meets regularly to help us make decisions on the use of funds to support Australians affected by the bushfires. Our plan continues to evolve. It is part of a bigger effort by government and other agencies, to make sure collective funds do the most good. $5 million is providing on-the-ground disaster services for this financial year. This enables Red Cross emergency teams to provide 24/7 support in the current bushfires and disasters in the months ahead, with this mainly being in bushfire-affected areas over recent months. It includes our work in evacuation and recovery centres, outreach services, deploying our volunteers and ensuring their training and wellbeing. $61.5 million is now helping people meet immediate needs. More than a million dollars is going out each day, as emergency grants to people whose homes were destroyed or rendered permanently uninhabitable. People are applying for these grants on our website, with a few basic checks. Our volunteers are also using iPads to help those without internet access to apply. This amount includes: • $50 million to support people whose homes were destroyed We have made a further $10,000 available to people who have received the emergency grant and need more help; a total of $20,000 per household if they need further financial support. • $10 million to support people whose homes were structurally damaged by the fires Many people’s primary place of residence is still standing, but may require structural repairs to make it safe to live in. Grants of $5,000 per household are helping homeowners with urgent repairs such as walls, ceilings, floors or windows. • $1 million for bereavement payments We are providing a bereavement payment of $20,000 to the identified senior next of kin of people who have died in the fires. We are working with state coroners to get in touch with eligible people. • $500,000 to support people who were hospitalised for injuries as a result of the fires This is provided as a one-off $7,500 grant to people who spent two or more days in hospital as the result of physical injuries or mental health issues caused by the fires. It will help with out-of-pocket expenses. We are also allocating funds to support people in the mid-to-longer term. $40 million will help people rebuild destroyed homes. These funds will be directed to people facing financial hardship. $25.5 million will be allocated to unmet needs as they emerge. Our experience in every disaster shows that new needs will emerge with time. We will continue to announce further bushfire assistance as people start to rebuild in their communities. $18 million will enable a tailored, minimum three-year community recovery program. Our experience from a century of disaster responses, including the Black Saturday Fires of 2009, is that recovery takes time and community recovery is critical. The right support can go a long way. That includes having someone to talk to, trauma counselling and mental health support, good social networks, access to good information and services, and a connection to community. Our recovery program will address these things in ways that are unique to each community. It will run for three years or more. It will be informed by needs assessments, be done in coordination with communities, government and service providers, and be implemented by dedicated key staff and volunteers. We will keep you informed of our plans and spending at every step. We are using this money with integrity and we’ll show you how and why we’re using it. We want you to see your generosity at work. Above all, we want it to make a genuine difference to the recovery of those impacted by the bushfires. Thank you!