The famine across the Horn of Africa is the biggest international crisis right now, but there are more than enough emergencies around the world today.
We all want to help but are sometimes confused about how to:
- find in-depth information about those emergencies,
- determine what charitable organizations are helping with what emergencies, and
- decide where our donations should go.
Here are some resources that can help.
How to Find the Latest International Crisis News and Information
- To find out about emergencies around the world (beyond the television news headlines), check out the Reuters Foundation website. It is devoted to humanitarian needs around the world. The home page of this site carries a news story on the latest crisis, but if you look in the left navigation bar, you will find a drop-down list of crises listed by name, such as African hunger or Angola recovery. You can also choose by topic (hunger or bird flu), or by country.
- Check out OneWorld. It is an online media gateway for independently produced news on a host of issues that impact people worldwide. You can keep up with issues and what nonprofit organizations are doing to help.
How to Find Top Charities Helping During an International Crisis
- To find out what charities (also known as NGOs) are active in a particular area or crisis, take a look at CharityNavigator. On Charity Navigator's homepage is a list of featured charities, but you can also browse charities by category. One category is “International.” Take a look at the "What's Hot" spot as well.
- You can also visit Global Giving.com. This site is an online marketplace for international giving. Potential donors can browse and select from a wide offering of projects, organized by geography or by themes such as health care, the environment, and education. Once a donor chooses a project, he/she can contribute any amount right online.
How to Find the Safest Charities to Give to in an International Crisis
- For information on how to determine what charities are worthy of your donation, see our Safe Giving Guide, as well as the resources at Give.org, a part of the Better Business Bureau.
- When in doubt, stick to tried and true charities such as the American Red Cross, Mercy Corps, or CARE.
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