Humanitarian aid, as a concept, refers to activities aimed at ending the suffering of those affected by crises created by humans, such as war, conflict, displacement, as well as those affected by any kind of natural disaster, both materially and spiritually, while minimizing the physical and psychological destruction and fatal consequences.
In the United Nations (UN) legislation, humanitarian assistance is defined as “assistance provided to save lives and alleviate suffering in crisis-affected communities.”
Legally, humanitarian assistance draws from various branches of law, such as human rights law, international law, refugee law, and international humanitarian law.
Additionally, in the legal framework, humanitarian assistance relies on various documents and codes of conduct accepted by international organizations, national and non-governmental organizations, bilateral and multilateral agreements signed between states, as well as principles and norms accepted by society.
From these and similar definitions, it can be said that the subjects of humanitarian aid are individuals who have suffered and been victimized in situations such as drought, famine, earthquakes, floods, as well as in cases of human-made crises such as war, conflict, and exploitation.
Objectives of Humanitarian Aid
In the “Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship” document signed by 36 donor organizations and governments in 2003, the purpose of humanitarian activities is expressed as follows: “to save lives, alleviate suffering, protect human dignity during human-made crises and natural disasters, prevent their occurrence, and strengthen preparedness for these situations.”
Scope of Humanitarian Aid Activities
The focal point of humanitarian aid activities is the human being. Humanitarian agencies and individuals working in humanitarian fields have various responsibilities. These responsibilities are outlined in the legislation that entered into force on December 19, 1991, related to the humanitarian principles of the United Nations General Assembly. These principles are grouped under four main headings: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These are described as follows:
- Humanity
Under the humanity context, it is stated that regardless of their religion, language, nationality, political opinion, and socio-economic status, priority should be given to meeting the urgent needs of the victims without discrimination.
- Neutrality
Neutrality means acting independently without getting involved in any political, economic, or military structure when delivering aid.
- Impartiality
Impartiality ensures that aid is provided without favouritism to any of the conflicting actors when delivering assistance.
- Independence
Independence means not establishing political closeness to any of the conflicting parties in humanitarian crises, particularly in war zones.
These principles form the basis of humanitarian principles in humanitarian intervention. Operating according to these principles helps humanitarian organizations gain credibility among the civilian population they will assist. Additionally, these principles that humanitarian groups need to follow can also prevent more people from getting involved in armed conflicts. Simultaneously, humanitarian aid principles that allow easy access to the parties for the delivery of aid are protective principles for humanitarian aid workers on duty in the field.
