Hunger Day box collection raises 760,000 euros to help those in need in Finland and abroad

The Hunger Day box collection was held from Thursday to Saturday on 26–28 September. Red Cross volunteers could be spotted all over Finland collecting donations and organising Hunger Day events. Despite the rain and wind, the box collection very nearly matched the results of the previous year.

“We would like to extend a warm thank you to each volunteer and donor who participated in the Hunger Day box collection. We were able to collect approximately 760,000 euros for the disaster relief fund in a matter of days to help those in need. It is a pleasure to see that the Hunger Day box collection brings people of all ages from children to the elderly together. We value each act for humanity,” says Director of Fundraising of the Finnish Red Cross Sirpa Solehmainen.

Hunger Day is about collecting donations for the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The Red Cross uses the funds of the disaster relief fund to offer help quickly to those who have been the victim of a disaster or accident both in Finland and abroad. The collection expenses of the Disaster Relief Fund must not exceed 20 per cent. This means that at least 80% of the donations are used for aid work.

“The donated funds collected on Hunger Day are not earmarked for a specific crisis, which is why we have the opportunity to provide help quickly in the event of a disaster or crisis,” Solehmainen says.

Help in humanitarian crises

Aid is urgently needed amid humanitarian crises in locations such as Myanmar, Yemen, Ethiopia and Gaza at the moment. 

The Finnish Red Cross is directing 300,000 euros in funds from the disaster relief fund to an aid operation in Myanmar in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi to support the work of the Myanmar Red Cross on site. Those who lost their homes in the typhoon are offered essentials such as shelter, clean water, cash donations and healthcare. In addition to immediate aid, local preparedness is strengthened for future disasters.

The Finnish Red Cross has also directed 200,000 euros from the disaster relief fund to the International Red Cross aid operation in Yemen, where floods caused by torrential rains have made life difficult for millions of people. A further 107,000 euros has been directed to the International Red Cross aid operation to help those suffering from floods and landslides in Ethiopia and 50,000 euros to the Ethiopian Red Cross to fight cholera.

The Finnish Red Cross has deployed personnel and hospital equipment to the Red Cross field hospital in Gaza. The field hospital is part of the Finnish Red Cross’s more extensive relief operations to help those suffering from the Gaza–Israel conflict. The aid work is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

“Every donation to the Disaster Relief Fund is important so that we can continue to provide humanitarian aid to people in need and strengthen the readiness of local communities to prepare for future needs. The readiness of the local people to help is key in the first moments during a disaster because the local Red Cross or Red Crescent society is often one of the first operators to arrive on site to save lives,” says Director of International Operations of the Finnish Red Cross Tiina Saarikoski.

Help from the disaster relief fund three times a week in Finland

In Finland, funds from the disaster relief fund are used to train Finnish Red Cross volunteers and maintain the readiness to act in times of accidents and crises.

In Finland, the Red Cross helps with looking for missing people, provides emotional support to those affected by a crisis or accident, buys necessities for those who have lost their homes in a fire and supports the authorities in major accidents, if necessary.

On average, the disaster relief fund is used three times a week in Finland to help people in need after sudden crises, accidents or house fires.