Disaster financial aid: donors to help you rebuild after the catastrophe

When everything is destroyed in a few hours: the brutal reality of disaster

A fire devours a house in 15 minutes. A flood destroys everything on the ground floor in a few hours. A storm rips off the roof in an instant. In just minutes or hours, years of life, memories, and material possessions are reduced to nothing.

When you emerge from the rubble, you have nothing left. No change of clothes, no bed to sleep in, no kitchen to feed your children. Your computer with your documents, your family photos, your furniture — everything is gone. And very quickly, the question of money arises with unexpected violence.

Insurance? It will take 3 to 12 months to compensate you. Until then, who pays for the hotel? Who buys the children new clothes? Who funds temporary rehousing? It is in this gap between the disaster and the compensation that thousands of families fall into hardship.

Why insurance is never enough after a major disaster

Many people think that with home insurance, they're protected. The reality is very different. Here's why disaster victims systematically end up in financial difficulty:

Different types of disasters and their financial consequences

Recurring disasters by country: a worsening reality

Climate change is multiplying natural disasters. Every year, disasters are more frequent and more severe:

• France — Recurring floods (Pas-de-Calais, Southeast), winter storms, drought causing house cracks. In 2023, 4.3 billion euros in damage from natural disasters.
• Belgium — Devastating floods in Wallonia (recall July 2021: 209 municipalities affected, 40,000 victims). Permanent risk in the valleys.
• Canada — Increasingly frequent and massive wildfires (British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec). Entire towns evacuated. Spring flooding in Quebec and Ontario.
• Switzerland — Landslides in mountain areas, flooding from snowmelt, violent storms. Cantonal building insurance sometimes limited.
• Luxembourg — Flooding in the Alzette valley, storms, hail on crops and homes.

Faced with these ever-increasing disasters, victims find themselves more and more often alone, caught between overwhelmed insurers and insufficient public aid.

4 steps to receive a donation after a disaster

When you have lost everything, the last thing you need is administrative complexity. Our process is simple and fast.

Sign up — I need help after a disaster

Immediate needs after a disaster that our donors finance

When everything is destroyed, needs are multiple and urgent. Here is what our donors help finance in the first days and weeks:

• Temporary rehousing — Hotel, Airbnb, furnished rental while waiting for reconstruction. Cost: 50 to 150 euros per night for a family.
• Clothing and personal belongings — What you were wearing that day may be all you have left. Minimum budget: 500 to 1,500 euros per person.
• Food and essential supplies — Without a kitchen, without a refrigerator, you have to eat out or buy ready-made meals.
• Children's school supplies — School bags, books, uniforms: everything must be repurchased to avoid interrupting schooling.
• Essential furniture and appliances — A bed, a table, a refrigerator, a washing machine. The bare essentials to start over.
• Administrative documents — Replacing your ID card, driver's license, health insurance card: the procedures come at a cost.
• Advance on insurance deductible — The 500 to 3,000 euros deductible to pay before any compensation.

Tips for writing your disaster assistance request

Donors are moved by disaster victims because they understand that the catastrophe is completely beyond the victims' control. Here's how to present your request:

1. Tell us what happened — Date of the disaster, type (fire, flood...), extent of damage. Be factual and precise.
2. Describe your current situation — Where are you staying? What were you able to save? Are you alone or with children?
3. Quantify your immediate needs — "J'ai besoin de 2000 euros pour 2 semaines d'hôtel et des vêtements pour mes 3 enfants" est concret et crédible.
4. Explain the situation with insurance — Are you insured? What is the estimated timeline? Is the donation to bridge the waiting period or to cover what insurance won't pay for?
5. Share photos if possible — Pictures of damage speak louder than a thousand words. If you have them, they strengthen your credibility.

What if you are uninsured or underinsured?

In France, about 2% of homeowners and 10% of tenants have no home insurance. In Switzerland, building insurance is mandatory but contents insurance is not always required. In Canada, many flood-prone areas have become uninsurable.

If you are uninsured -- whether by financial choice or because no company would cover you -- your situation is even more dire. You have no compensation to expect. Everything is at your own expense.

It's precisely in these extreme cases that our donors' help is most valuable. They don't judge your past situation — they see your present need and your will to rebuild.

Explore other available forms of assistance

A disaster often triggers cascading problems. Discover these additional resources:

• Urgent financial aid — For any emergency financial need beyond the disaster itself
• Unpaid rent aid — If the disaster prevents you from paying your new temporary rent
• Family financial aid — For families with children affected by a disaster
• Medical expenses aid — If the disaster caused injuries requiring medical care
• Donation for funerals — If the disaster caused the death of a loved one
• Widow financial aid — If you lost your spouse in the disaster