International Relief: Bring love and care to all those in need.
Tzu Chi started its international disaster relief efforts by providing help to flood victims in Bangladesh in 1991. Our international disaster relief not only provides emergency materials like food, clothing, grain seeds, and medical materials, but goes even further by working to rebuild houses and schools, set up water supply systems, and offer free medical clinics. While the nature of each aid project is different, the ideal of “respecting life” is the core value in all of the work we do. The five principles of disaster relief are: Direct, Focused, Respectful, Practical and Timely.
Tzu Chi volunteers cover their own expenses and travel on their own time to disaster sites. When distributing relief materials, they bow to the recipients at a 90-degree angle to show their respect and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the mission, without asking for anything in return.
From its beginnings as a local charity in Taiwan, Tzu Chi has become a broad-based international humanitarian organization that collaborates with many international non-government organizations.
