Where we work

Guatemala

Our work here focuses on agricultural development, disaster prevention and relief aid, human rights and strengthening the legal system.

Sudan

Among other things, our work here includes mine clearance, protecting the civilian population and relief aid in Darfur.

India

Here we work with fighting hunger and poverty, disaster preparedness, democracy, rights and the caste system.

Angola

Our work here focuses on clearing areas of landmines and unexploded ammunition as well as mine risk education.

Congo (DCR)

Our work here focuses on demining, fighting hunger and helping women who are victims of violence.

Ethiopia

Our work here focuses on disaster risk reduction, equal rights for men and women, strengthening civil society and fighting hunger, HIV and AIDS.

Malawi

Our work here focuses on the prevention of HIV and AIDS, food security and women’s rights.

Uganda

Our work here focuses on agriculture, disaster preparedness, combating HIV and AIDS and supporting a democratic development.

Zambia

Our work here focuses on women’s right to participate, fighting poverty, HIV and AIDS, climate change adaption and democracy.

Bangladesh

Our work here focuses on disaster preparedness, climate changes, democracy, women’s rights and protecting migrants.

Burma/Myanmar

Our work here focuses on empowering civil society, development and education, emergency relief aid and supporting refugees.

Cambodia

Our work here includes, among other things, fighting hunger, HIV/AIDS, supporting women’s rights and climate change adaption.

Nepal

Our work here focuses on democracy and rights, disaster preparedness, disaster risk reduction and safe migration.

Pakistan

Our work here focuses on relief aid, health care, medicine and reconstruction following the floods.

Haiti

Here our work focuses on rebuilding schools and helping the rural poor with income generating activities after the violent earthquake in 2010.

Honduras

Our work here focuses on agricultural development, disaster preparedness, climate change adaption, human rights and democracy.

West Bank/Gaza

Our work here focuses on relief aid, women’s rights and improving the Palestinian population’s living conditions.

Kazakhstan

Our work here focuses on supporting the poor that travel from town to town on foot. We establish self-help groups and influence laws and procedures.

Kyrgyzstan

Our work here focuses on supporting poor immigrant families, education for marginalised children and young people and self-help groups for the elderly.

Lebanon

Our work here focuses on clearing cluster bombs, neutralising mines and enabling the population to manage on their own.

DanChurchAid believes

Henrik Stubkjær, Secretary General

"Hunger is an inevitable consequence of poverty. Hunger is the most grotesque example of inequity in the world. DCA is fighting hunger with all of the means we have, both in the short and longer term."

Earthquake in Pakistan in 2005

In October 2005 an earthquake hit a very isolated area in north-west Pakistan and in the Pakistani part of the Kashmir province in India.

The earthquake destroyed thousands of villages, injured hundreds of thousands and left the survivors without shelter, food, work or health facilities.

In the afflicted area between 60 and 80 percent of all houses were destroyed and 3.5 million people became homeless.

What DanChurchAid did

The relief aid work was complicated by the fact that the earthquake hit mountainous areas that are difficult to access and by the fact that a lot of the existing infrastructure was destroyed in the earthquake. Many areas could only be accessed on foot or by helicopter.

Due to the altitude, the afflicted areas were cold, and due to the approaching winter the many homeless needed blankets, tents, warm clothing etc. in order to keep the cold at bay and stay alive.

In Pakistan DanChurchAid’s local partner, Church World Service (CWS), handed out emergency packages that included tents, blankets, food and soap and materials for rebuilding or repairing a house.

On the Indian side of the border DanChurchAid’s Indian partner, CASA, distributed tents, blankets, clothing – and corrugated iron sheets so that the homeless could make temporary huts as shelter from the cold Himalayan winter.

Winter emergency camps

In both countries the local partners established emergency camps. Normally, it is better if people stay in their villages rather than end up in camps where they depend on relief aid.

But during the current disaster, getting some of the afflicted down from the mountains was vital, because the relief workers were unable to get to the villages when the winter was at its worst.

A three year effort

The relief work following the earthquake stretched over three years:

Immediate relief aid for the afflicted
Rebuilding houses, roads, bridges, schools etc.
Educating young men in the camps to become craftsmen – so that they, as bricklayers, electricians, plumbers and carpenters could take part in reconstructing the afflicted areas