Coronavirus is a family of viruses, which can cause the common cold or more severe diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome), and the new coronavirus disease that first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, called COVID-19. Learn more about the coronavirus-caused disease pandemic and how World Vision is responding worldwide.
News & Stories
Disaster Relief
Prayers
Prayers for people affected by the new coronavirus
A new coronavirus is spreading rapidly around the world. As infections and the death toll rise, we turn to God for wisdom and comfort.
From the Field
Family Emergency Kits deliver hope to food-insecure families
As COVID-19 cases rise with school closures and restrictions increasing across the nation, church leaders and school officials are partnering with World Vision in its distribution of life-sustaining supplies, including food, personal hygiene, and clean water, to food-insecure families in the Puget Sound.
From the Field
2014 Ebola virus outbreak: Facts, symptoms, and how to help
The 2014 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa was the “largest, most severe and most complex Ebola epidemic” in history.
From the Field
Zika virus: Facts, symptoms, and how to help
The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause microcephaly and other serious birth defects. Though the disease has faded from the news since its most recent outbreak from 2015 to 2016, Zika remains a risk in dozens of countries and territories in the Americas. Learn facts about Zika, the latest outbreak, and future threats.
Change Makers
How to talk to kids about disasters in the news
Disasters like the new coronavirus can take over the news and can be troubling for empathetic adults and scary for children. Learn how to talk about it. Here’s how to talk to your kids about this current emergency as well as others.
Prayers
Peace on Earth: Pray for people in conflict hot spots
Our world is full of hurting families and nations torn apart. One-third of the world’s population live in countries with conflict, violence, or fragile internal systems. Pray with us for people living in fragile contexts and conflict zones.
From the Field
2019 Cyclone Idai: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Catastrophic flooding from Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Kenneth affected close to 2.2 million people in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Idai and Kenneth were two of the top five worst storms to ever hit Mozambique. Together, they’ve caused an unprecedented amount of damage. World Vision staff are providing shelter, food, and clean water to families in need.
From the Field
Yemen war: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Learn about what is now the world’s largest humanitarian crisis — the Yemen civil war. Conflict has affected 24 million people, 80% of the country’s population, and nearly half of them are children. It’s destroyed lives, livelihoods, homes, and infrastructure, leaving this Middle Eastern country in poverty and despair.
From the Field
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the deadliest disasters in modern history, was caused by a massive undersea earthquake. Nearly 230,000 people died, and millions more lost everything. World Vision raised more than $350 million and mounted the largest disaster response in its history, providing relief and rehabilitation in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, and Myanmar over 10 years.
