FAQs: Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian aid is assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to crises, including armed conflicts, natural disasters and human-made disasters. The primary objective is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity.

Humanitarian aid is mainly provided by governments, international organizations, international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Red Cross-affiliated organizations, national and local NGOs, community-based organizations, and individuals. Major international organizations include the United Nations and various international charities.

Humanitarian has the following meanings:

(1) concerned with the alleviation of human need, directed towards the relief of human suffering

(2) related to the plight of people, characterized by the existential need of many people.

The word humanitarian originates from the French adjective humanitaire, linked to “humanity.”

Humanitarian aid focuses on immediate, short-term relief to save lives in emergencies. Development aid, on the other hand, aims at long-term improvements in infrastructure, education, and economic development to reduce poverty and improve living conditions.

While both humanitarian assistance and human rights aim to promote the well-being of people and uphold human dignity, they differ in terms of objectives, scope, actors, and guiding principles. In a nutshell, humanitarian aid is focused on providing emergency assistance in crisis situations, while human rights aim to ensure that individuals' basic rights are protected at all times.

• Donations: Contributing money to reputable humanitarian organizations.
• Advocacy:  Advocating for policy changes and for stronger government and institutional responses.
• Fundraising: Organizing events and campaigns to raise funds.
• Education: Raising awareness, staying informed and educating others.
• Volunteering: Offering time and skills to aid organizations.

Humanitarian aid is funded through governments, contributions from international organizations, individual donations, and contributions from the private sectors. Fundraising campaigns and appeals are often launched during humanitarian crises.

Humanitarian aid is guided by four core principles:

• Humanity – Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with a focus on saving lives, alleviating suffering, and protecting dignity.
• Impartiality – Aid is given based solely on need, without discrimination based on race, gender, nationality, religion, or political views.
• Neutrality – Humanitarian actors do not take sides in conflicts or engage in political or ideological debates.
• Independence – Humanitarian assistance is carried out independently from political, economic, or military interests.

As of 2025, some 300 million people around the world are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, according to United Nations estimates.

Types of humanitarian aid include emergency response services such as food assistance, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter, and protection. It may also cover education, psychosocial support,  as well as financial assistance.

Humanitarian aid is solely provided based on need, regardless of race, gender, religion, politics, or nationality. The core principle of impartiality ensures resources go to those most affected and most vulnerable.

Yes, surely. Aid given to crisis-affected people is free. However, the cost is covered by donors, governments, and organizations that raise funds.

Aid is delivered through various channels, depending on the crisis and the needs of the affected population. Methods include: aid convoys: Trucks or other vehicles that transport large quantities of goods overland; cash transfers: Providing cash or vouchers directly to affected people, which allows them to purchase what they need from local markets, stimulating the local economy; seldomly air drops: Used to deliver food and supplies to remote or inaccessible areas.

Humanitarian aid faces several severe challenges:

• Funding: The gap between the funds needed to address crises and the available resources is growing rapidly.
• Access: Gaining access to populations in need can be difficult due to conflict zones, political barriers, extreme weather, or a lack of infrastructure.
• Security: Aid workers often face security risks, including killings, violence, kidnapping, and harassment.
• Coordination: Ensuring that multiple organizations work together effectively to avoid duplication of efforts and fill gaps in assistance is a continuous challenge.

Humanitarian action refers to efforts to save lives, alleviate suffering, and protect human dignity during crises such as armed conflicts or natural disasters. It includes the delivery of assistance (e.g. food, shelter, health care), protection activities, and advocacy for affected populations. Humanitarian action is guided by the core humanitarian principles.

Common misconceptions about humanitarian aid include:

• “Aid can solve political problems.” Humanitarian aid can alleviate suffering, but it cannot resolve the root political causes of crises. Long-term solutions require political will and peace building efforts.
• “Aid creates dependency.” In reality, most aid programs aim to empower communities by supporting local capacity, livelihoods, resilience and self-reliance.
• “Aid is always misused or wasted.” While challenges exist, humanitarian organizations follow strict accountability standards and monitoring practices to ensure aid reaches those in need.
• “Only food and water are provided.” Humanitarian aid covers a wide range of services, including shelter, healthcare, protection, mental health support, education, and more.

Yes, aid can be politically manipulated or used as leverage in conflicts, affecting its neutrality and potentially endangering those delivering it. Most recent and most severe example: Gaza

The world produces more than enough food to feed the global population, but more than 8 percent of the people around the globe still go hungry. Around 673 million people, people experienced hunger in 2024 or an estimated 8.2 percent of the global population, down from 8.5 percent in 2023 and 8.7 percent in 2022.

In 2024, more than 295 million people worldwide were acutely food insecure in 53 countries and territories around the world, an increase of 14 million from 2023, and an increase of 38 million compared to 2022. 

Armed conflict remains the main driver of acute hunger.

Famine refers to an extreme and widespread scarcity of food and nutrition that leads to severe hunger, malnutrition, and high mortality rates among a large population. It is the most severe form of food insecurity. A famine classification is triggered when three critical thresholds — extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition, and starvation-related deaths — are breached.

Yes, several countries and territories are currently experiencing famines. These famines are considered human-made, meaning the catastrophic situation is due to conflict, political decisions, and the obstruction of aid and resources.

• Sudan: Famine has been officially declared in several areas due to the ongoing war that began in April 2023. The conflict has disrupted food supply chains and led to mass displacement, further exacerbating the situation.
• Gaza Strip: A famine has been declared in the Gaza Governorate as a consequence of the conflict that escalated in October 2023. This famine is primarily the result of Israeli blockades and obstructions to humanitarian aid and commercial goods, making food and resources extremely scarce.

In 2024, 2.1 billion people still lacked access to safely managed drinking water services, including 1.4 billion with basic services, 287 million with limited services, 302 million with unimproved services, and 106 million who drank unsafe surface water.

In 2024, 3.4 billion people still lacked access to safely managed sanitation services, including 1.9 billion who had access to basic services, 560 million who had access to limited services, 555 million who had access to unimproved services, and 354 million who practiced open defecation.

In 2024, 1.7 billion people still lacked access to basic hygiene services, including 1 billion who had limited access to services and 611 million with no services at all.