Humanitarian Action

At Corus, we believe there are five fundamentals everyone needs to survive. During emergencies, these fundamentals—safe housing, a stable income, reliable health care, nutritious food, and access to vital information—are often at risk. 

When man-made or natural disasters strike, we respond to meet immediate needs and then transition our support into increasing community resilience to future shocks and stressors over the long-term. 

Our approach to humanitarian action resolves around four strategic pillars:

• Market-based Programming: As we respond to a crisis, we prioritize leveraging local markets whenever possible to obtain what is needed for the affected population—stimulating local economies and supporting small businesses. We seek to help those affected transition as early as possible into livelihood recovery, building resilience through economic empowerment.
   
• Local Capacity Strengthening: We work alongside local partners and the communities we serve, equipping them with the tools, training, and resources to strengthen their ability to respond to crises and effectively manage disaster risks.
   
• Social and Behavior Change: In times of crisis, the adoption of harmful coping mechanisms increases, as does incidents of violence against women and girls. We collaborate with local communities to develop human-centered, culturally relevant strategies, which are woven into our humanitarian response, to foster healthier behaviors and challenge harmful social norms.
   
• Environment-sensitive Solutions: Corus integrates environmental considerations into every aspect of its programming. By promoting sustainable practices and addressing climate-related challenges, we ensure our interventions protect natural resources while meeting urgent humanitarian needs. 

To respond urgently to complex humanitarian crises, Corus weaves together expertise from its subsidiary organizations Lutheran World Relief, IMA World Health and CGA Technologies. 

These organizations specialize in the following technical intervention areas: 

• Cash and voucher assistance
• Health in emergencies
• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
• Nutrition
• Livelihoods and early recovery
• Emergency food security
• Addressing violence against women and girls
• Technology for development
• Disaster risk reduction and early warning systems