CARE and our partners respond to the needs of millions of people in crisis, saving lives, and paving the way for communities to rebuild.
Humanitarian crises are growing in number and lasting longer. Around the world, suffering is becoming deeper and more severe. Today, approximately 520 million children, more than one in five globally, are living in or fleeing conflict zones.
Conflict, climate change impacts, and displacement are increasingly overlapping, putting millions of people in extreme danger. In many emergencies, health clinics close, food becomes scarce, water sources turn unsafe, and families lose their homes and livelihoods.
War, widespread inequality, crushing poverty, and massive cuts to aid budgets are making it harder for communities to survive a crisis, let alone recover from one. In 2025, an estimated 300 million people worldwide required humanitarian assistance, the highest number ever recorded. At the same time, global funding for humanitarian response continues to decline.
Women and girls are often hit hardest when violence or disaster strikes. They face greater risks when access to safety, food, health care, and income breaks down, and they are more exposed to exploitation and abuse. Conflict-related sexual violence increased by nearly 90 percent between 2022 and 2024.
CARE works alongside experienced local and national partners in places facing the greatest needs, before, during, and after emergencies. This local presence enables faster, more effective responses, reducing delays and costs while helping people rebuild their lives with dignity.
Focus on women and girls
Women and girls experience crises differently and often have distinct and urgent needs. Yet, these needs and their rights are frequently overlooked.
They may need basic supplies such as sanitary pads, access to antenatal care, and safe, private sanitation facilities. Yet bathrooms in displacement settings are often poorly lit or unlocked, increasing risks to safety and dignity.
Although women and girls understand their needs best, they are too often excluded from emergency planning and decision-making.
Despite these challenges, women and girls play critical roles in crisis response. They care for their families, support their communities, and help others cope with daily survival.
CARE has developed specialized tools to identify and respond to their needs and to ensure women and girls are included in decisions during emergencies. Strengthening their leadership and protecting their rights is central to CARE’s humanitarian expertise. Our experience helps to inform the work of partners across the sector.
