Some disasters are painfully predictable: the political turmoil that flares into war, the heavy rains that pool into floods, and the annual hurricane season.

With more than 23,000 staff around the globe and emergency supplies in strategically located warehouses, World Vision is always watching world events and ready for a crisis—even ones that don't make the six o'clock news.

Here are five situations World Vision is either watching carefully or responding to right now:

1. Floods in Ethiopia
Four major Ethiopian rivers burst their banks in mid-August, causing massive floods in low-lying parts of the country. The water killed nearly 1,000 people and impacted more than 100,000 others.

Witnesses said it damaged telephone and electricity lines, washed out major roads, swept away vehicles and livestock, and destroyed markets.

Outbreaks of acute diarrhea have been reported, and a malaria outbreak is feared. World Vision is distributing food, blankets, household utensils, materials for shelter, and other items to displaced people.

2. Conflicts and Monsoon Season in Sri Lanka
The recent fighting between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Army has been the worst since a ceasefire was struck four years ago.

Clashes this year have killed hundreds of people, many of them civilians. The UN says more than 200,000 people have been displaced. Many of them live in tent camps, where deplorable conditions are being made worse by the torrential rains of monsoon season.

Thousands of families, especially children, are facing the risk of a cholera outbreak. World Vision's initial response to the emergency includes distribution of water, food, and other essential items to 10,000 families.

3. Drought in Niger
Niger is facing yet another poor rainy season—and another season of hunger.

Subsistence farmers make up about 85 per cent of the population in this West African country. They rely on rainfall for their crops and their survival. The World Food Programme predicts that a quarter of Niger's 12 million people will be in need of food aid in September.

World Vision is distributing food to more than 24,695 children under age three. The monthly ration contains about a kilogram of vegetable oil and 12.5 kilograms of Unimix, a fortified blend for malnourished children.

4. Hurricanes in the Caribbean and Latin America
Hurricane season in the Caribbean and Latin America begins in August and doesn't quit until October.

The first hurricane of the year, Ernesto, battered Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic in late August with high winds and heavy rainfall. Later downgraded to a tropical storm, Ernesto killed one person in Haiti and damaged homes and roadways in its path.

Hurricane John, which followed soon after, killed three people in Mexico.

World Vision is ready to distribute hygiene kits and other emergency items to children and families affected by the storms.

Last year's Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season was the worst on record, producing 15 hurricanes.

5. Conflicts in Darfur, Sudan
Intense fighting between the Sudanese government and rebel groups in the province of Darfur has been ongoing since 2003—and the people of Darfur have suffered dearly.

More than two million people have fled their homes and are living in camps, both within Sudan's borders and in neighbouring Chad.

World Vision is at work in the camps, distributing sorghum, wheat, oil, sugar, salt, corn-soya-blend, peas, and lentils to about 250,000 people. Staff members have also rehabilitated dozens of schools and built latrines.

What You Can Do
Click here to donate to World Vision emergency preparedness fund.