Ways to help people and animals affected by bushfires in Australia

Australia is facing a massive crisis as several parts of the country are ravaged by deadly bushfires affecting people and animals. The bushfire this season is seemingly unprecedented as it is being termed as the worst summer in the history of the nation. Australia has been under the crisis since September 2019 where over 480 million animals and more than 1,000 homes have been affected by the tragedy. 

International charitable organisations like the Australian Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and Vinnies are already on the ground helping locals by providing food, clothing and other essential items. People have lost their homes, properties and other belongings in the ongoing bushfire crisis and non-governmental institutions are doing their best to help them rebuild their lives. You can play your valuable part by donating to any of these organisations that are currently present at the fire front. 

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Help victims through donations

The Australian Red Cross released a statement on its official website that read, "Your donations to our Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund have meant that we’ve been able to deploy 1,285 trained staff and volunteers to disaster-affected communities." It's not just financial donations, the Australian Red Cross is also accepting clothing and small homewares that people can donate to Red Cross shops in order for them to then sell and raise funds for the crisis. 

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The Australian Red Cross is also accepting breast milk as a donation to help those who might need to access that during the bushfire crisis. People can also donate blood and plasma to the Red Cross' Bloodbank as it might also help during the ongoing emergency. Foodbank is hoping to send over 5,000 food relief hampers to people affected by fires in Victoria's East Gippsland area. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said that money is a far better option for any donation as donating food items can sometimes hinder the process as it is very difficult to store and distribute them.

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More than 8,000 koalas have been killed in the ongoing bushfire crisis leaving one-third of their habitat affected by the blaze. Animal protection groups from across the globe are involved in the rescue and recovery process of wildlife in Australia. Animal welfare groups like Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) and Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) are helping towards the process and accepting donations on their official websites.  

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