The Scottish humanitarian charities facing global disasters head-on

Scottish funding at work in Democratic Republic of Congo | Oxfam Scotland

Polycrisis is a rather ugly recent addition to the political lexicon but it’s hard to think of a better single word to sum up the scale of global challenges we all face right now.

From the uncertain but deadly military action in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine to this summer’s stark reminders across Europe of the accelerating climate crisis, it’s increasingly difficult for us all to hold on to previously shared views of the rules based global order.

Here in Scotland, fears for our own safety and security tend to drown out more distant voices of the devastating humanitarian consequences of these crises for millions of people elsewhere in the world.

Whilst humanitarian need soars around the world, official aid budgets have been slashed and increasingly those trying to save lives in disasters are themselves being targeted by the militants.

The scale of the challenge can seem overwhelming but against this bleak backdrop Scottish charities, supported by the Scottish Government have been working tirelessly to save lives and help communities through almost unimaginable hardship to give them some hope for a safer, more prosperous future.

For the past nine years, the Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), advised by an expert group, has directed funds not only to help in those higher profile crises that do make the news but other devastating disasters where the aid response is chronically underfunded.

Frances Guy, the outgoing independent Chair of the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund | Frances Guy

Please read on for a selection of inspiring stories of how lives have been saved and protected in Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. You’ll also see the how international charities now pay much closer attention to the needs of affected communities, working more closely with trusted, local organisations who are much better placed to now pay their fellow citizens need in times of extreme crisis.

As well as the more obvious supply of shelter, food, water and medical care, an increasingly cost-effective way of helping families through emergencies is via direct cash payments providing greater dignity and choice on what they most urgently need to make it through unbearably difficult times.

Whilst many Western governments are cutting aid, it’s really heartening that the Scottish Government has committed not only to increasing its overall international development spending during this Parliament but also its contribution to humanitarian response in the years to come.

Frances Guy is the outgoing independent Chair of the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund and Chief Executive of Scotland’s International Development Alliance.

Sudan

Families on the edge of survival in Sudan, where loss of food, water supply and essential services meet the all-too-present threat of violence and sexual violence | Tearfund

Bee Roy, Head of Tearfund Scotland

For Tearfund, Scottish Government support has enabled crucial emergency intervention in Sudan, which is currently facing one of the world's most urgent humanitarian crises. Ongoing conflict and displacement have left millions of families facing severe food shortages, disrupted clean water supplies and shattered essential services. 

In East Darfur, where families are living on the edge of survival, this funding has allowed Tearfund’s local partner in Sudan to respond quickly, providing emergency unconditional cash for food and protection to those on the brink of starvation.

The profound, life-changing impact of this support is clear in the story of 16-year-old Halima. Living with her mother in an internally displaced persons camp after her father disappeared, Halima, who has a disability, faced unimaginable trauma when she suffered sexual violence and became pregnant. Fearing stigma, she carried this trauma in silence while struggling to care for her newborn baby.

Bee Roy, Head of Tearfund Scotland | Tearfund

Thanks to our project, Halima received the critical legal aid and psychosocial care she desperately needed. By providing dedicated protection and trauma support, Tearfund’s partner is helping women and girls like Halima heal and recover, while emergency cash assistance has helped her family buy food. For the first time, Halima and her mother feel heard, believed and supported – a crucial step toward safety, healing and rebuilding confidence for the future.

Through this funding, thousands of people in East Darfur have benefited from emergency cash, food and protection. And while the crisis continues, Tearfund and our local partners remain on the ground. 

We are deeply grateful to the Scottish Government for continuing to support these enormous but all too easily overlooked crises. Tearfund and our local partner are well-placed to respond quickly where the need is greatest. It is helping families survive, protect their children, and regain a sense of stability and hope in these crucial times.’

Afghanistan

Afghanistan lives amid multiple crises, with thousands of people benefitting from Scottish Government funding through Christian Aid, whose recent work supports people trying to rebuild after the earthquake in Kunar Province in August 2025. | Christian Aid

Val Brown, Head of Christian Aid Scotland

Bibi Satro and her family rely on farming and livestock in a remote area of Afghanistan. But when an earthquake hit Kunar Province in August 2025, her home and farm were destroyed and the family had to live in a tent with little food or water.

“The earthquake took everything from us, our home, land, livestock, and our hope for life.”

The people of Afghanistan struggle with multiple crises: conflict, economic collapse, malnutrition, weak public services and climate shocks. Twenty-three million people already require humanitarian assistance, and so the 2025 earthquake was a devastating blow. After the earthquake, even more people were forced deeper into poverty, living in tents and damaged shelters. And with winter looming, they needed extra support to cope with the cold and associated health risks.

Scottish Government Funding through the HEF enables Christian Aid to support communities facing multiple complex emergencies. Christian Aid's partners always put people first, by asking disaster-struck communities how we can meet their immediate needs quickly.

Val Brown, Head of Christian Aid Scotland | Christian Aid

In Kunar Province Christian Aid’s partner, Afghans 4 Tomorrow (A4T) provided cash grants to those who were living in towns and able to access markets. But to those who lived in more rural areas they distributed winter care packages, making sure people had blankets, sweaters, socks and shawls. A4T also created safe spaces for people to share their experiences and rebuild their emotional wellbeing. Nearly a thousand households - over 6,800 people – received help from the Scottish Government’s funding.

Families like Bibi’s were supported to deal with the immediate impact of the earthquake, practically and emotionally. They have survived this crisis. But in a country afflicted by disaster, many households have not yet recovered their homes, livelihoods, or sources of income.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Women in DRC are rebuilding their lives after violence took homes, livelihoods and dignity - but one crisis leads to another in DRC, with the county now in the midst of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record | DRC

Katherine May, Head of Oxfam Scotland

In Humule, a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the effects of conflict are impossible to ignore. Families were forced from their homes, lost their livelihoods and saw their communities torn apart by violence. Thanks to support from Scotland's HEF last year, people were able to begin rebuilding their lives. Working with local partner Solidarité pour la Promotion Sociale et la Paix, Oxfam provided money to 500 families who had lost almost everything.

Families used it to buy food, rent land, restart small businesses and begin getting back on their feet.

For Uwineza, who fled fighting with little more than the clothes she was wearing, it meant she could start farming again, feed her children and earn an income.

The project also helped women take on leadership roles in their communities and raise awareness of the rights of women and girls. Local people helped shape thesupport from the start, ensuring it reflected what families said they needed most.

In total, the project reached around 3,000 people. But its impact is about more than numbers. It helped families regain a sense of stability, independence and hope after losing so much.

Today, the DRC faces the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. It’s a stark reminder that one crisis can quickly give way to another.

Katherine May, Head of Oxfam Scotland | Katherine May

Scotland's support helped families in Humule begin rebuilding after conflict, but their future remains uncertain. The progress they have made is real, yet fragile. Years of conflict, displacement and aid cuts have left many communities vulnerable, and new emergencies can quickly undo hard-won gains.

At a time of deep aid cuts and growing humanitarian need, Scotland's contribution must be built upon and matched by others. Communities working to rebuild their lives should not be left to face the next crisis alone.