United Nations Staff dig deep for hurricane victims.

Less than a week after Hurricane Katrina tore through the southern states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana on 28 August 2005, wreaking havoc and devastation across the Gulf Coast of the United States, the United Nations system had pledged disaster relief support for the hurricane-ravaged areas and mobilized efforts to aid the victims of the disaster. At the same time, UN staff members were already planning to personally help by organizing the United Nations Staff Relief Committee and a clothing drive.

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In its first three days of operation, the United Nations Staff Relief Fund, created by the Committee, had collected over $22,000 in cash and checks, with more donations expected through wire transfers. Committee Chairperson Rosemarie Waters said contribution was also coming in from other UN offices around the world. "Seeing the compelling pictures on television, you can't turn away from something like this", she said. With over 90 volunteers involved with the Committee, response had so far been overwhelming.

The clothing drive, coordinated through an NGO group called "Give Them a Hand", was held on 2, 7 and 9 September, with UN staff donating over 450 boxes of clothing, baby food, towels and more, which were flown to the devastated areas by the non-profit Airline Ambassadors International. UN staff member Gordon Tapper, founder of "Give Them a Hand", said that the organization's experience in coordinating relief responses to other emergencies allowed it to respond swiftly to Hurricane Katrina, adding that they have been doing a lot of relief work in different countries, such as supporting orphanages and children's homes in Latin America and the Caribbean affected by Hurricane Irene in 2004, "but this is the first time that we have responded to a natural disaster in the United States".

All money raised by the Staff Committee was donated through the American Red Cross, the lead agency coordinating the disaster relief effort, and Habitat for Humanity for reconstruction projects.