Smaller disasters are frequent, little-known, and devastating. And they are occurring more often due to climate change. They may not be newsworthy but these "small" disasters are big enough to overwhelm a country's response capacity.
When that happens, the Humanitarian Coalition is there. Around the clock. Around the world.
Our response to smaller disasters is co-funded by Global Affairs Canada through the Canadian Humanitarian Assistance Fund.
Millions of people are impacted by disasters every year
Here are some of their stories:
More than a million people were forced to leave their homes during the conflict in Lebanon last year. Hiyam Zaatari, a 70-year-old mother of three adult children, was one of them. But once she found a new place to live, a lack of accessibility support left her confined there.
"When the war started, I lost everything," Hiyam shared. "My home, my mobility and my son." Hiyam was displaced in September 2024 and moved to a cramped, humid apartment on the fourth floor near the Ein El Helweh camp in Saida, South Lebanon.
Get Involved
Support families and communities who are devastated by disasters, around the clock and around the world. There are three ways to get involved: