"Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help... Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines."
It involves providing relief assistance, such as food, shelter, and medical care, to people affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises.
Humanitarian principles: Understanding the core principles that guide humanitarian action, such as humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.
International humanitarian law: Studying the legal framework that regulates armed conflicts and protects vulnerable groups, including the Geneva Conventions and other relevant treaties.
Emergency response: Learning how to manage disasters and crises, including preparedness, response, and recovery measures.
Conflict analysis: Understanding the root causes of conflicts, their dynamics, and their impact on civilians, as well as the role of humanitarian organizations in addressing them.
Protection: Learning how to protect civilians from harm, including through the use of protection strategies, advocacy, and monitoring mechanisms.
Gender and diversity: Understanding how gender and diversity issues intersect with humanitarian aid, including the specific needs of women, children, and marginalized groups.
Health and nutrition: Learning about health and nutrition programs, such as vaccination campaigns, emergency medical care, and food aid distribution.
Education: Understanding the importance of education in humanitarian contexts, including the provision of schooling for displaced children and the reintegration of students into regular school systems.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH): Learning about WASH programs, including the construction of latrines, installation of water pumps, and hygiene promotion campaigns.
Logistics and supply chain management: Understanding how to manage the delivery of humanitarian aid, including transportation, storage, and distribution.
Humanitarian leadership and management: Learning about the leadership and management skills needed to run a successful humanitarian operation, including project management, personnel management, and risk assessment.
Monitoring and evaluation: Understanding the importance of monitoring and evaluating humanitarian programs, including measuring impact, improving performance, and reporting to stakeholders.
Communication: Learning how to effectively communicate in humanitarian contexts, including through media relations, advocacy, and community outreach.
Donor relations and fundraising: Understanding the role of donors in humanitarian aid and learning how to effectively fundraise for humanitarian programs.
Ethics and professionalism: Understanding the ethical and professional standards that guide humanitarian action, including maintaining confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and upholding the dignity of beneficiaries.
Emergency relief: Providing immediate assistance to people affected by natural disasters, conflict, or other crises, such as food aid, shelter, and medical aid.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction: Helping communities rebuild after crises by providing long-term support for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic development.
Protection: Safeguarding vulnerable populations from harm, including women, children, and refugees, through legal and physical protection measures.
Education: Providing education and literacy programs to people affected by crises to restore a sense of normalcy and create opportunities for rebuilding communities.
Healthcare: Providing medical assistance and essential medicines to those affected by crises, as well as training and support for local healthcare workers.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH): Ensuring access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene supplies to prevent the spread of disease and improve overall health.
Food Security and Nutrition: Addressing hunger and malnutrition by providing food aid, nutrition education, and support for local agriculture.
Livelihoods and Employment: Promoting economic recovery and resilience by offering vocational training, start-up capital, and support for small businesses.
Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI): Providing essential goods like blankets, clothes, and cookware to those affected by crises.
Mine Action: Clearing landmines and explosive remnants of war to prevent accidents and create safe areas for communities to rebuild.
Reproductive Health: Providing family planning services, prenatal and postnatal care, and access to contraception in crisis-affected regions.
Communication and Information Management: Coordinating data collection and sharing critical information with affected communities and humanitarian agencies.
Disaster Risk Reduction: Working to reduce the risk of future disasters by building resilient communities and strengthening disaster preparedness and response measures.
Protection of Humanitarian Space: Ensuring that humanitarian aid workers can operate safely and impartially in conflict-affected areas, protecting both their own safety and the delivery of aid.
"It may be distinguished from development aid, which seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors... led to a crisis or emergency."
"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) of the United Nations (UN) is responsible for coordination responses to emergencies."
"The four UN entities that have primary roles in delivering humanitarian aid are United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP)."
"The International Committee of the Red Cross understands humanitarian relief as a norm in both international and non-international armed conflicts."
"Countries or war parties that prevent humanitarian relief are generally widely criticized."
"The most lethal year for aid providers in the history of humanitarianism was 2008, in which 122 aid workers were murdered and 260 assaulted."
"The countries deemed least safe were Somalia and Afghanistan."
"The countries with the highest incidents were: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and Kenya."
"274 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection in 2022, or 1 out of 29 people worldwide."
"Some scholars define humanitarian obligations as 'unfixed.'"
"When recipients of aid call on different parties - agencies, governments, the international community - to fulfill these obligations."
"The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity."
"Development aid seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors which may have led to a crisis or emergency."
"Humanitarian aid is seen as 'a fundamental expression of the universal value of solidarity between people and a moral imperative.'"
"Humanitarian relief efforts are provided for humanitarian purposes and include natural disasters and human-made disasters."
"The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is responsible for coordination responses to emergencies."
"Linking humanitarian aid and development efforts seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors which may have led to a crisis or emergency."
"Humanitarian aid can come from either local or international communities."
"The members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, whose members are responsible for providing emergency relief."