International Crisis Response

Food and Nutrition

When famine strikes or conflict cuts off food supplies, Samaritan's Purse delivers emergency food rations, cooking supplies, and nutrient-dense supplemental food for malnourished children and mothers. Truck convoys are able to carry thousands of tons of provisions into hard-to-reach areas. When those roads become impassable, our fleet of small aircraft can continue deliveries by air to remote, cut-off locations.

In Sudan, conflict cut off entire communities from their farms and from markets, pushing millions toward famine. Samaritan's Purse responded by moving large convoys of food staples such as corn, oil, beans, and salt deep into the remote Kordofan region. We also airdropped provisions into communities after the rainy season flooded roads. Teams also distributed nutrient-dense therapeutic food to malnourished children and their mothers to assist vulnerable families before the lean season.

“This is life-saving food. Imagine having no food for 10 months. People couldn't access their normal farming area because of the war.”

Clean Water and Sanitation

Contaminated water kills quickly in the aftermath of disaster. Our teams can quickly install water filtration systems to restore access to clean drinking water. During long-term responses, we drill wells and install sanitation infrastructure. These water and sanitation capabilities help prevent the outbreak of deadly waterborne disease in communities already weakened by crisis.

The Northern Mariana Islands of Saipan and Tinian were hit by Typhoon Sinlaku in 2026 with 180 mph winds, leaving nearly 50,000 residents without power or running water. The storm damaged roads and hospitals and drove families into shelters across the islands.

Samaritan's Purse deployed our 767 cargo aircraft with 40 tons of relief—including clean water systems, shelter material, and solar lights—and followed with additional airlifts totaling more than 250,000 pounds of supplies. Teams set up water stations across Saipan and distributed supplies through local church partners while mobile medical units treated those in need.

Medical Care

Our fully equipped Emergency Field Hospitals can be airlifted anywhere in the world and operational within days. Mobile medical units extend care to communities where the nearby hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies have been destroyed. Our teams of doctors, nurses, and specialists treat trauma, deliver babies, perform emergency surgeries, and work quickly to contain and treat disease outbreaks.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Samaritan's Purse responded to an Ebola outbreak in Ituri Province where we deployed Ebola Treatment Centers—specially equipped Emergency Field Hospitals. Teams of doctors, nurses, and infection control specialists operated the facilities in Bunia and Nyankunde, training local medical workers, installing handwashing stations across affected communities, and providing hands-on care to patients suffering from the disease.

“If no one comes to the aid of the population, we have no hope of living. It's hard for me to watch someone die when I can do something. I know that Samaritan's Purse has the competence in the matter of this virus.”

Emergency Shelter

When homes are destroyed by earthquakes, flooding, or during armed conflict, families are left exposed to the elements. We provide emergency shelter materials, tarps, blankets, and other supplies to protect families as they await longer-term recovery efforts get underway.

After a 7.7-magnitude earthquake collapsed hundreds of buildings across Myanmar in March 2025, Samaritan's Purse distributed emergency shelter kits—including tarps, blankets, and solar lights—to more than 11,000 families while simultaneously standing up an Emergency Field Hospital and installing community water filtration systems.

“I am very happy and thankful for these things and that you all came to give these gifts.”

Hygiene and Essential Supplies

Solar lights, hygiene kits, and other everyday-use items are among the first things we deliver during a response.

Since 2022, Samaritan's Purse has distributed tens of thousands of hygiene kits in Ukraine alongside food and shelter materials through an extensive network of church partners.

“What you are bringing is perfect for us. These are things people can take with them for the rest of the journey. They have been asking us for these things, and we prayed to have them. God sent you to us.”