Australia’s National Emergency

While for some citizens life has started to improve since the recent decline in covid cases Australia’s prime minister has now declared a national emergency, and Australians have been dragged into a new dilemma. With the upcoming spring season just around the corner, Australia has already been hit with “rain bombs”, commencing some of the country’s most acute cases of flash flooding, along with its first national emergency since 2020’s deadly wildfires. For those who may not know, a rain bomb is a phenomenon that occurs during a microburst—when air slams into the ground at such a force that it generates potent tornado-like winds. The floods started around late February and continued into early March after Australia received over a year’s worth of rainfall. On February 24, Queensland, Australia was hit with a rain bomb, resulting in collapsed powerlines and the rampant destruction of infrastructure. Not long after, a new rain bomb along with floods from Queensland traveled to New South Wales, Australia. Cities were instantly flooded, including rural communities, Indigenous populated towns, and parts of Sydney. Over 20 people have been pronounced dead, and over 34,000 houses have been flooded. One of Australia’s preeminent needs is for unrestricted cash donations, which will provide families with secure housing, basic necessities, and the ability to contact services for additional assistance. Unfortunately, the prevalent rains have provided a strenuous clean-up, but Australia’s affiliations with both governmental and non-governmental organizations, who are devoted to preserving the safety of citizens, will undoubtedly help. For instance, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has noted that over 67,500 insurance claims related to the flooding have been received, and they will continue to collect claims data in the upcoming weeks. Nevertheless, Australian citizens still need help rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.

“Properties in the suburb of Goodna, Australia, in the far south-western outskirts of Brisbane, are seen inundated by flood waters Tuesday”(npr.org) Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

HOW TO HELP

Luckily, if you’re able to, you can help Australia by donating to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), a non-profit organization focused on helping communities around the world to effectively respond to environmental impacts. The CDP’s Global Recovery Fund allows donors to send money that will be used for any/all efforts to regulate international disasters. If you’re looking to assist citizens affected by other humanitarian crises (eg: conflict in Ukraine, Atlantic hurricanes, Haiti earthquake), go to Active CDP Recovery Funds - Center for Disaster Philanthropy. For more information, visit Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

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CITATIONS

Center for Disaster Philanthropy, T. Rowe Price Foundation. UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) UPS Foundation., 6 Mar. 2022, disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster/2022-australian-flooding.