ADRA International

Malnutrition costs developing countries billions every year in lost productivity. That’s not metaphorical. A World Food Programme estimates that malnutrition costs the global economy roughly $3.5 trillion a year, with huge costs on individuals through the form of impacts to brain development, educational achievement, and long-term health.

Author: Elian Giaccarini, Regional Emergency Response Coordinator, ADRA Inter-American Regional Office Impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, November 2025.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in the Philippines has activated its emergency response mechanisms following a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck offshore near Maasim, Sarangani Province, on the morning of June 8. The quake, the strongest to hit the Philippines since 1990, caused widespread damage across Mindanao, triggered tsunami warnings, and forced thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

By Paulo Lopes, President, ADRA International “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” — Matthew 19:14 (NIV) Children at the ADRA Learning Center in Lebanon [ADRA / Nikolay Stoykov.] There is a moment in the Gospels that I return to often. The disciples, trying to manage the crowd, turn children away from Jesus. And Jesus stops them. He doesn’t simply allow the children to approach.

The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is responding to the growing Ebola Bundibugyo Disease crisis affecting parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda through prevention, hygiene support, and community education efforts aimed at slowing the spread of the deadly virus. According to regional reports, 121 Ebola cases have been confirmed, including 18* deaths.

Church members in Portugal come together for ADRA’s Disaster Ready Churches workshop in Europe. [Photo Courtesy of ADRA Portugal] After recent storms in Portugal, ADRA Portugal and ADRA Europe trained local church representatives to prepare, respond, and share Christ’s love with communities in crisis. When a storm comes, people need more than shelter. They need safety, food, care, clear information, and someone willing to stand beside them.

From April 21 to 30, 2026, the President of ADRA International, Paulo Lopes, accompanied by Africa Regional Director Geoffrey Mbwana and Africa Regional Finance Director Dibden Chileya, conducted a working visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Over ten days, ADRA reaffirmed its determination to act on two essential fronts: humanitarian aid and development, for the benefit of the most vulnerable communities.

By Paulo Lopes, President, ADRA International “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” — Isaiah 1:17 (NIV) Paulo Lopes, President of ADRA International, visits ADRA projects in DRC [Photo credit: Rudy Kimvuidi] I grew up in a tradition that taught me compassion was a virtue. And it is.

A mother’s struggle to care for her children in rural Cambodia The dangers of unsafe water and poor sanitation How new opportunities brought hope to one family The life-changing impact of clean water and hygiene Celebrating the strength and care of mothers this Mother’s Day “Seeing my children face these problems, I felt helpless.

According to Human Rights Watch, 273 million children worldwide are out of school. This is a sobering number, and it begs the question—why is this the case? It’s not because they don’t want to learn. It’s not because education doesn’t matter to their families. And it’s not because they lack potential or intelligence. Children are kept out of classrooms by barriers that have nothing to do with their ability or desire to learn—barriers like war, poverty, hunger, and discrimination.