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Preventing Sexual Violence in Disasters

Logo - Donate to the sexual violence disaster relief fundThe National Sexual Violence Resource Center engages local, state, territory, national and international partners to increase access to information on the prevention of and response to sexual violence occurring during and after disasters.  A guide for disaster preparedness (available in English and Spanish), a collection of resources and a relief fund for sexual assault victims have been created.  Details on these resources are provided below.

The Relief Fund for Sexual Assault Victims

Planning Guide for Prevention and Response

Online Resource Collections

The Relief Fund was established in 2005 to collect donations that will aid sexual assault victims and advocacy programs in the United States impacted by disasters. The Fund is designed to:

  • Support the needs of sexual assault survivors
  • Support the needs of sexual assault advocacy program staff
  • Assist with expanded direct service capacity needs
  • Assist with prevention initiatives to protect evacuees from sexual violence
  • Support relocation/rebuilding efforts for damaged sexual assault advocacy programs

100% of the donations will go to victims in affected areas. Administrative costs are being donated by the NSVRC. Visit the Relief Fund website for more information on how you can help.

Communities are encouraged to use the Relief Fund Flyer below to assist in building this important resource. 

Download the Current PDF of Flyer (1 pg.)  Relief Fund Flyer

Read more about Relief Efforts to support Haiti.

Sexual Violence in Disasters: A Planning Guide for Prevention and Response

During times of disaster we often witness increased vulnerability and susceptibility to exploitation and violence. The Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault (LaFASA) & the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) created this guide to ensure that those planning for disaster relief and response do not forget to consider safety from sexual victimization and the importance of creating policies that could prevent it.  It offers readers important information about sexual violence and disasters that will help communities to understand the connection and develop better disaster responses. It presents a range of recommendations from suggesting small changes to developing comprehensive plans, making preparations, and coordinating far-reaching policy change. The guide is arranged according to phases of a disaster, and the color-coded phases offer a multitude of things to consider. The ‘Getting Started’ work sheets in the back have been designed to facilitate the process of disaster planning.

We want to know if this guide is useful in your community.  We welcome your feedback and will address additional needs that you share. 


La violencia sexual durante desastres: Guía de planificación para la prevención y respuesta

A través de esta guía, escrita por Alisa Klein, el lector podrá obtener información importante sobre la violencia sexual y los desastres. Con esta información, cualquier comunidad podrá comprender mejor la conexión entre ambos fenómenos y preparar mejores respuestas para casos de desastre. La guía ofrece una variedad de recomendaciones, desde sugerir pequeños cambios hasta desarrollar planes integrales, hacer preparativos y coordinar un cambio de políticas de gran alcance. Está ordenada según las fases de un desastre, codificadas por color y, en cada una de ellas, se destaca una multitud de aspectos que se deben considerar. Las hojas de trabajo denominadas “Fase Inicial”, al final de la obra, fueron diseñadas con el fin de facilitar el proceso de planificación para un desastre. (Este es un documento extenso y podría demorar algún tiempo para cargar).

Spanish PDF (16 Megs)
Spanish PDF Text only (8.5 Megs)


Online Resource Collections