Review the humanitarian principles shown in the video.

1

The Humanitarian Imperative comes first. The prime motivation of response to

disaster is to alleviate human suffering
2

Aid is given regardless of the race, creed, or nationality of the recipients and
without adverse distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are calculated on the
basis of need alone
3

Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint

4

Every effort will be made to not act as instruments of government foreign policy
5

Always respect culture and custom

6

Always attempt to build disaster response on local capacities

7

7
Involve crisis-affected people in the management of relief aid
8

Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meet
basic needs
9

Be accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from whom we accept
resources
 10
10
Always recognize disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects
within your information, publicity, and advertising activities
Humanitarian Principles

Humanitarian principles typically refer to the first 4 principles of the Code of

Conduct. They...

 Form the ethical framework of the humanitarian system

 Provide the foundation for what it means for actions to be
considered “humanitarian”
 Recognized by the UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and
58/114 and are reflected in the Humanitarian Charter and the
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)

Click the plus signs to examine each.

Humanity
–
 Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found.
 The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and
health and ensure respect for human beings.
Impartiality
–
 Humanitarian action must be provided solely upon need.
  Priority goes to the most urgent cases of distress and
making no distinctions on the basis of...
o Nationality
o Race
o Gender
o Religious belief
o Class
o Political opinions

Neutrality
–
Humanitarian actors must not participate in hostilities or engage in
controversies of a political, racial, religious, or ideological nature.
Independence
–
Humanitarian action must be separate from the political, economic,
military, or other objectives that actors may hold related to areas where
humanitarian action is being implemented

Transparency and Feedback

Transparency and feedback mechanisms are essential components of
accountable humanitarian programming.

Click the plus signs to learn more.

Transparency
–
Ensuring that the people being helped have access to timely, relevant,
and clear information about your organization and activities.

Feedback
–
Information obtained from crisis-affected people allows progress to be assessed
and timely corrections to be made. Feedback can be positive or negative.
 Negative feedback is often a complaint, or something has gone
wrong
 Receiving, managing, and responding to complaints is central to
accountability, impact, and learning
 Humanitarian organizations must have an accessible, safe, and
effective complaints mechanism