Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian aid (or humanitarian assistance) can be described as an intervention to help people affected by war, armed conflict, persecution, natural disasters and epidemics to meet their basic needs and rights. Humanitarian aid refers to assistance provided to people in crisis situations to alleviate their suffering and ensure their survival, intended to meet the basic needs of individuals and communities.

Humanitarian Action

Humanitarian action encompasses activities undertaken to prevent and alleviate human suffering in situations of crisis, whether caused by armed conflict, natural disasters, or other emergencies. Its primary objectives are to save lives, provide relief to those in need, and safeguard human dignity.

FAQs: International Humanitarian Law

The DONARE FAQs present a selection of frequently asked questions about International Humanitarian Law (IHL), clarifying some of the rules that apply in armed conflict and their relevance for humanitarian work.

FAQs: Humanitarian Funding

The DONARE FAQs present a selection of frequently asked questions about humanitarian funding. They introduce the basic features and contexts and explain how humanitarian action is financed and some of the major challenges.

FAQs: Humanitarian Actors

DONARE FAQs presents a selection of frequently asked questions about humanitarian actors, naming key players, describing the roles and responsibilities of different organizations and stakeholders, and how humanitarian action is coordinated.

FAQs: Humanitarian Crises

DONARE FAQs presents a selection of frequently asked questions about humanitarian crises, introducing the basic features and contexts of humanitarian emergencies.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The DONARE FAQs section provides curated answers to some of the most common questions related to humanitarian action. It is intended as a reference tool, offering concise explanations of key concepts, principles, and practices that regularly feature in the coverage of DONARE. Questions and answers are designed primarily for educational purposes and do not replace official legal or policy guidance.

FAQs: Humanitarian Aid

DONARE FAQs presents a selection of frequently asked questions about humanitarian aid, outlining the objectives, modalities, and scope of humanitarian assistance. The questions also address some of the framework conditions.

Humanitarian Access

Humanitarian access refers to the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach populations affected by crises and provide them with essential aid and services, such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, and protection. It also encompasses the unimpeded access of these populations to relief goods and emergency services. Access requires the physical capacity to enter crisis zones and operate within them freely, without hindrance from governments, armed groups, or other parties.

By Simon D. Kist, 1 May, 2025

Millions will die because of brutal funding cuts in humanitarian aid

The United Nations humanitarian chief has warned that millions of people across the world will die because of a critical crisis in global humanitarian funding. The worsening crisis has been triggered by brutal funding cuts to humanitarian aid by the new United States administration, which took office at the end of January 2025 and has eliminated most American humanitarian funding and is dismantling the world's largest government aid agency.

Humanitarian Catastrophe

A humanitarian catastrophe is a humanitarian crisis (or emergency) where widespread loss of life, threat to life, and human suffering on an immense scale occur - often over a short period of time. Such events result typically from violence involving armed actors (like states and non-state armed groups), leading to hunger, displacement, disease, and lack of access to essential resources like safe water and shelter. Natural disasters can also cause humanitarian catastrophes such as famine.

Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid

Giving back to others by volunteering your time and skills can be rewarding and impactful. There are several opportunities to volunteer in humanitarian aid around the world, particularly for young people and those with extensive work experience. Volunteering can also be a good way to gain insight if you are considering a career in the humanitarian sector at home or abroad, or if you want to get a foot in the door at the United Nations. 

Humanitarian Country Team

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is a strategic and operational decision-making and oversight forum in each country facing a humanitarian crisis, established, led and chaired by the Humanitarian Coordinator. It is composed of representatives from the UN, international NGOs and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement at the highest level in the country concerned.

Key Players in Humanitarian Aid

Humanitarian aid is a complex and multifaceted field involving a network of a wide range of international, regional and national actors, from international organizations and governments to non-governmental organizations and local partner organizations. Each of these actors has a specific role to play in responding to humanitarian crises, providing relief or supporting humanitarian operations.

Humanitarian Aid Agencies

Numerous aid agencies around the world provide urgently needed humanitarian support internationally. These humanitarian organizations respond to wars, conflicts, natural disasters and complex emergencies by providing food, water, shelter, medical care and other life-saving aid. In the DONARE Directory of Humanitarian Aid Agencies, you will find brief descriptions of well-known and influential international UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Red Cross-affiliated organizations that respond to humanitarian crises worldwide and whose work you can support with a donation.

Refugee Response Plan

A Refugee Response Plan (RRP) is a comprehensive and coordinated strategy developed by the United Nations, other international organizations, governments and humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to address the needs of refugees in a specific context or crisis. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) leads the development of Refugee Response Plans.

Humanitarian Jobs

Many people dream of working in humanitarian aid or are already active in humanitarian affairs and want to find a new career. Even those starting out in the field have a variety of career opportunities. Remember that humanitarian work is both rewarding and demanding. It is important that you approach humanitarian jobs with a sincere desire to make a positive impact on vulnerable communities. 

By Simon D. Kist, 6 May, 2023

Humanitarian aid and human rights: Differences and common ground

Humanitarian aid and human rights are two concepts that are closely related, yet distinct in their approach to addressing issues of global concern. Both seek to promote the well-being of individuals and communities, but they do so through different means and with different objectives in mind. At their core, humanitarian action and human rights share a common goal of promoting human dignity and alleviating human suffering. At the center of both ideas are humans and the concept of humanity.

Humanitarian Principles

The humanitarian principles are a set of guidelines and values that guide humanitarian action and are based on the fundamental principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These principles serve as a framework for providing assistance and protection to those affected by conflict, natural disaster and human-made disasters, or other emergencies, with the goal of alleviating suffering and protecting human dignity.

Humanitarian Crisis

A humanitarian crisis (or humanitarian emergency) is an event or series of events that threaten the health, safety, livelihood or well-being of a large group of people. Humanitarian crises can be caused by war, conflict, persecution, disease outbreaks, human-made or natural disasters. In many humanitarian crises and emergencies around the world, multiple causes occur simultaneously. Humanitarian crises have devastating physical, psychological and social consequences for women, men, and children. 

Humanitarian

Humanitarian has the following meanings:

(1) concerned with the alleviation of human need, directed towards the relief of human suffering, philanthropic, charitable, directed towards the well-being of human beings

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

Humanitarian Coordinator

The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) is the senior-most official of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a country experiencing a humanitarian emergency.  Humanitarian coordinators are appointed by the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator.  The HC is accountable to the Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Emergency Relief Coordinator

The Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) is the highest-ranking United Nations official responsible for humanitarian affairs. The ERC reports directly to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and serves as a focal point for governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on humanitarian issues. In this capacity, the ERC may be called before the UN Security Council in humanitarian emergencies.

OCHA

OCHA is the acronym for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. OCHA coordinates the work of UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other national and international actors in humanitarian emergencies. It is the principal international player on humanitarian assistance issues. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

Websites for Experts and Professionals

Those who want to learn more about humanitarian work around the world can take a look at websites that are mainly used by professionals. DONARE has compiled an overview of internet sites and digital services aimed at experts and insiders in the field of humanitarian aid. Some of the humanitarian information services can also be helpful for journalists researching crisis situations. 

Medical Humanitarian Aid

Medical humanitarian assistance and support for health services are urgently needed in crises around the world. A UN agency and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) specialize in providing health care in humanitarian crises or in the urgent delivery of medicines to people affected by conflicts and disasters.

Background

DONARE provides background information on humanitarian work and donations as well as humanitarian emergencies. Learn more about the world's most serious crises, which afflict many millions of people. Perhaps you are also concerned with other questions: Where are the forgotten crises of our time to be found? Or where does my donation money go? You can also get an overview of websites aimed at experts and insiders in the field of humanitarian aid, find humanitarian jobs or investigate the question: Who is among the largest humanitarian donors in the world?