Humanitarian aid

Development and Aid

Humanitarian aid is rapid assistance given to people in immediate distress by individuals, organisations, or governments to relieve suffering, during and after man-made emergencies (like wars) and natural disasters. The term often carries an international connotation, but this is not always the case. It is often distinguished from development aid by being focused on relieving suffering caused by natural disaster or conflict, rather than removing the root causes of poverty or vulnerability.

Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity. It may therefore be distinguished from development aid, which seeks to address the underlying socioeconomic factors which may have led to a crisis or emergency.

The provision of humanitarian aid or humanitarian response consists of the provision of vital services (such as food aid to prevent starvation) by aid agencies, and the provision of funding or in-kind services (like logistics or transport), usually through aid agencies or the government of the affected country. Humanitarian aid is distinguished from humanitarian intervention, which involves armed forces protecting civilians from violent oppression or genocide by state-supported actors.

The Geneva Conventions give a mandate to the International Committee of the Red Cross and other impartial humanitarian organizations to provide assistance and protection of civilians during times of war. The ICRC, has been given a special role by the Geneva Conventions with respect to the visiting and monitoring of prisoners of war.

The Sphere Project http://www.sphereproject.org handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, which was produced by a coalition of leading non-governmental humanitarian agencies, lists the following principles of humanitarian action:

1.     The right to life with dignity.

2.     The distinction between combatant and non-combatants.

3.     The principle of non-refoulement.

Humanitarian response

Humanitarian aid is delivered by governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other non-governmental humanitarian agencies according to humanitarian principles set out in Resolution 46/182 of the United Nations General Assembly (for governments and UN agencies), and in Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief (for NGHAs).

Standards

The Sphere Project handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, which was produced by a coalition of leading non governmental humanitarian agencies, lists the following principles of humanitarian action:

• The right to life with dignity

• The distinction between combatant and non-combatants

• The principle of non-refoulement

The Quality Project, based on the Quality Compass, is an alternative project to Sphere, taking into account the side effects of standardization and those of an appraoch based on "minima" rather than the pursuit of quality. This project is leaded by Groupe URD.

 

Who is in The  European Union as a whole (i.e., the Member States and the Commission) is the world's main humanitarian aid donors; the Humanitarian Aid department   (ECHO) is the service of the European Commission responsible for this activity.  The mandate to ECHO is to provide emergency assistance and relief to the victims of natural disasters or armed conflict outside the European Union.  ECHO’s task of  ensuring that  goods and services get to crisis zones fast is performed  thought ECHO partners. Its grants cover emergency aid, food aid and aid to refugees and displaced persons worth a total of more than €700 million per year  (2009). Related activities   feasibility studies for its humanitarian operations; monitoring humanitarian projects and sets up coordination arrangements; disaster prevention; technical assistance to partners; public awareness  networking and training study initiatives in the humanitarian field (NOHA).    http://ec.europa.eu/echo/about/what/presentation_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/echo/media/videos/pop-up.htm

 

Who is in The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world's largest humanitarian organization.  Founded in 1919, the International Federation comprises 186 member Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, a Secretariat in Geneva and more than 60 delegations strategically located to support activities around the world. There are more societies in formation. The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross in many Islamic countries.   Disaster response represents the largest portion of the International Federation work, with assistance to around 30 million people annually from refugees to victims of natural disasters. This section includes our emergency response units and issues relating to humanitarian policies as we strive to improve the quality of our immediate response and long-term rehabilitation work.  http://www.ifrc.org/disasters/

 

 

Other Resources The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Sphere is based on two core beliefs: first, that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict, and second, that those affected by disaster have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to assistance. Sphere is three things: a handbook, a broad process of collaboration and an expression of commitment to quality and accountability. The project has developed several tools, the key one being the handbook. The Sphere Project handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, which was produced by a coalition of leading non governmental humanitarian agencies, lists the following principles of humanitarian action: The right to life with dignity The distinction between combatant and non-combatants The principle of non-refoulement   www.sphereproject.org/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=s12aOrkZub4

 

Other Resources The Quality Project, based on the Quality Compass, is an alternative project to Sphere, taking into account the side effects of standardization and those of an appraoch based on "minima" rather than the pursuit of quality.  The compass rose, composed of twelve criteria that define the quality of a humanitarian project, is centred on crisis-affected populations and their context.   www.compasqualite.org/en/compas-method/presentation-compas-method.php

 

 

 

 

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External links

• Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief (for NGHAs).

• The Sphere Project

• The Quality Project

• The Quality Compass,