7 Chitemwiko Close, Kabulonga, Lusaka, Zambia, 10101 // +260 977 790 075
CARE is a recognized global leader in delivering humanitarian assistance for over 75 years. CARE’s emergency programming ensures gender-responsive, conflict-sensitive, and community-led interventions that protect people’s dignity and build resilience and social cohesion before, during, and after an emergency. CARE’s emergency preparedness and response program seeks to contribute to SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, SDG 5 – Gender Equality, and SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.
CARE has a long history of supporting humanitarian and emergency interventions across the country, from its initial beginnings supporting influxes of Angolan refugees to providing responsive services to Congolese arrivals at Mantapala Refugee Camp (Luapula) and Makeni Transit Center (Lusaka), and building the disaster risk reduction capacity of drought affected communities. Since the on set of COVID-19, CARE has also actively responded to the livelihood and food security needs of vulnerable persons across the country. Through decades of being at the fore of emergency response in Zambia, CARE has learned that successful emergency preparedness and response is dependent upon a diverse and wide range of partners. CARE continues to prioritize its role as a lead response agency working closely with the Zambia Humanitarian Platform and Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit. CARE’s Emergency Preparedness & Response Strategic Program Area focuses on the following four areas: Disaster Risk Reduction, Protection and Gender-Based Violence, Food Insecurity and WASH, and Education and Livelihoods in Emergencies.
Disaster Risk Reduction
CARE empowers women-led and community-based organizations to monitor, prepare, mitigate, and respond to future emergencies within communities. To reduce vulnerabilities and enhance resilience, CARE works with communities to develop and implement community disaster preparedness plans and early warning systems.
Protection and Gender-Based Violence
CARE supports prevention, response, and mitigation efforts to combat GBV through a range of comprehensive programming that addresses barriers to essential services, engages communities in dialogues to address
Goal: 54,125 women and girls live in communities that are more prepared to respond to emergencies, and have improved capacities to ensure food, WASH, education, and livelihoods are not affected social norms and combat rumors and stigma, and increases access to dignity kits and emergency health services.
Food Security and WASH
During crisis situations, CARE ensures that survivors’ immediate food and water requirements are met, while supporting longer-term causes of food insecurity. To enable food-insecure communities meet their basic food and water needs, CARE’s interventions focus on food, cash, and voucher assistance. Inadequate sanitation, poor hygiene practices, and lack of access to safe water can lead to outbreaks of disease. During emergency responses, CARE mitigates the spread of water-borne illness and diseases to ensure communities have adequate access to sanitation and clean water. CARE provides safe water through water trucking, water treatment and storage solutions, and promotes hygiene through community mobilization and sensitization.
Education and Livelihoods in Emergencies
CARE has also been at the fore ensuring innovative learning, vocational, and livelihood opportunities for refugee and displaced populations in Zambia. CARE through technical assistance and cash programming responds to emergency education and basic needs to ensure learning and livelihoods are not interrupted by drought or epidemics.