The increase in these disasters, coupled with today's constant stream of media coverage, makes for a seemingly never-ending stream of grim news detailing death and destruction around the globe. This inundation can be overwhelming and bring a sense of helplessness.

But the news isn't all bad. This surge of natural disasters has been met by an increased effort on the part of organizations who bring support and relief, along with comfort and hope, to those who are displaced, hurt and suffering. DisasterCenter.com lists more than 30 major U.S. disaster-relief organizations working tirelessly in every corner of the globe. Their aim, in the words of Rachel Wolff, part of World Vision's disaster response team, is "to save lives--to provide help as urgently as possible that will not only save lives but also help survivors rebuild their lives."

These agencies provide multiple ways to get involved. Organizations such as Samaritan's Purse provide training to mobilize volunteers all over the world to bring relief to devastated areas. After the Great Sichuan Earthquake left thousands of people with no access to clean drinking water, volunteers from Samaritan's Purse arrived and installed new water systems in these towns. In response to floods that swept across Romania in 2007, Operation Blessing International launched a back-to-school program that provided essential school supplies to families, as well as soup kitchens, clothing and food distributions, water wells and job training for orphans.

While the media attention is creating opportunities to aid these victims, other corners of the world suffer below the radar. These places, often referred to as "neglected emergencies," have not, for whatever reason, received the media attention brought upon other areas. According to Wolff, "Most of the very serious humanitarian emergencies that are going on around the world are not reported very much at all in the press. It has all kinds of implications--if people don't know, they're not praying, they're not giving, they're not telling their friends--things are not changing." For many of these places, the extreme loss of life brought about by disasters is exacerbated by the dire poverty already present. Because of this, many organizations seek to act pre-emptively by preparing the communities for potential disasters.

The ultimate goal is not to simply clean up after a disaster, but to be in communities, helping to build for long-term purposes by teaching strategies and implementing measures to be used after disaster strikes, in hopes of lessening the effects of tragedy and ultimately saving lives. "It's really a cycle," Wolff says. "When we go into a community, we look at what they need. We talk to them and say, 'What are your priorities?' Then, at any point along the way, they may experience an emergency, so we respond. As we move gradually from those first few weeks or months of emergency aid, we want to help families get back to that starting point before that storm or earthquake hit them. We say, 'OK, we're out of crisis mode now; let's continue to work to get you back on the path toward development, to improving your lives, to helping your children stay alive past the age of 5, helping them get educated, helping you earn more income to send your children to school.'"

One example of this can be seen from Cyclone Sidr, which struck Bangladesh in November 2007 with top wind speeds of 160 miles per hour and lasted six days. World Vision personnel had already been working in the area for years, teaming with the government to build storm shelters and educate the community. "We trained the community so that they know, when the alarm goes off, what to do, where to go, how to get help," Wolff says. "All of that together helped save thousands of lives in the cyclone."

Even as manpower and monetary donations are integral parts of disaster relief, these organizations also ask for prayer. They recognize that physical needs must be met, but prayer is key to their goal of ending suffering and bringing hope to the people who need it most.

After falling from the school, Li Yao's parents found her, miraculously unscathed, in the rubble that had, just moments before, been her school. With their home destroyed, the Lis walked out of the mountains to seek help, passing collapsed houses and bodies by the roadside. Eventually, they were picked up by a relief truck and taken to a temporary shelter at Shifang City with more than 1,000 other survivors, where a swath of relief organizations were there to provide assistance.