Scenes of human suffering flash across TV screens and dominate headlines every day. If you’re looking for a way to help in times of crisis, you might wonder if volunteering for a humanitarian aid project is the way to go.
Humanitarian projects around the world can always use qualified volunteers.
Why is humanitarian aid important? In the aftermath of floods or drought, war or wildfires, the immediate response can provide essential services for affected people and communities, saving lives and laying the foundation for long-term recovery.
Volunteering during a humanitarian crisis isn’t easy, but if you have the necessary skills to join a humanitarian aid project without pulling resources away from the people you’re trying to help, you can contribute to community recovery. Before you sign up to volunteer, though, you’ll want to understand what international humanitarian aid really means.
What is humanitarian aid?
At its heart, humanitarian aid is assistance to people who need help. Humanitarian aid can be material or logistic in nature, though it typically takes the form of short-term assistance until institutions can step in to provide ongoing support. Aid organizations may work with those impacted by famine, wars, natural disasters, refugees, and more.
International humanitarian aid can come into play in emergencies caused by either natural or man-made disasters around the world. This type of aid is different from predominantly long-term developmental aid, which deals with underlying socioeconomic conditions. Humanitarian aid seeks to ease human suffering and maintain or reestablish circumstances that honor and protect human dignity.
Does humanitarian aid work?
Done right, humanitarian aid can save lives. But not every aid project sees success. Projects that don’t account for local context (or are simply poorly executed) can ultimately fail, so if you’re looking for a space to lend a hand, you’ll want to volunteer with the professionals and make sure you’re respecting the culture of the people you’re there to help.
In order to be effective, humanitarian aid must be carried out by people with experience.
Even volunteers with the best intentions can do more harm than good if they dive into working on international humanitarian aid with unrealistic expectations. Ask yourself if you have the necessary skills before signing up for a humanitarian aid project—and be honest! You can find a place to volunteer that lets you use your skills for good, without drawing resources away from the communities who need them most.
What are the different types of humanitarian aid?
International humanitarian aid can take a number of forms. Some common examples of humanitarian aid include:
- Disaster relief: From floods to hurricanes, earthquakes to wildfires and beyond, natural disasters across the globe make the importance of humanitarian aid clear. Humanitarian aid may include clean water, meals, shelter, and more.
- Food and agricultural responses: Conflict, displacement, and climate change all contribute to food insecurity. This global issue is at the forefront of many international humanitarian aid projects. Responses to agricultural crises, such as famines brought on by drought or crop disruptions due to conflict, are also a key part of humanitarian aid.
- Medical aid: Humanitarian aid in the form of medical care can include personnel, funds, and materials that respond to a health crisis.
- Shelter: Whether people are displaced by war, conflict, or natural disasters, safe shelter is essential. Humanitarian aid may include creating shelter or funding hotel rooms for displaced people.
- Water: A 2019 report from UNICEF and WHO found that 1 in 3 people don’t have access to safe drinking water. That eye-opening figure underscores the benefits of humanitarian aid: Meeting the immediate need for safe water can lay the groundwork for better conditions in the long term. Funds for essentials like filters and water systems can also free women, who often have to collect water for their communities, to spend time on other tasks.
International humanitarian aid may also focus on a specific group of people. Aid programs often focus on particularly vulnerable groups like refugees or children, providing meals, healthcare, education, and other services.
9 reasons why humanitarian aid is important
Treating fellow humans with basic kindness goes a long way.
Humanitarian aid can come as an early recovery response in the first phase, focusing on providing assistance and meeting the basic needs of people right after a crisis occurs. After that initial phase, humanitarian aid can play an important role in helping communities continue to rebuild.
Exactly why is humanitarian aid important?
1. Humanitarian aid provides emergency assistance
When there’s a crisis, those who are already vulnerable often suffer the most. Vulnerable populations may not have access to basic needs like shelter, food, and healthcare. So, international humanitarian aid that responds to emergencies can help to meet these immediate needs.
2. Humanitarian aid can set the stage for rebuilding communities
In an immediate crisis, emergency humanitarian aid brings comfort and relief to those affected through food, shelter, medical aid, and more. Later on, humanitarian aid can help with the reconstruction of communities and resettlement of refugees.
3. Humanitarian aid supports education
The benefits of humanitarian aid go far beyond immediate relief. Crises, whether man-made or due to natural disasters, often translate to a disruption in education for children in the area. Aid programs may work to provide ongoing education in the midst of disaster responses and support children to enroll in—and consistently attend—school.
4. Humanitarian aid provides shelter during crises
Conflicts and disasters lead to large numbers of people losing their homes. Humanitarian aid not only provides temporary shelter for people affected by crises, but also offers materials, labor, and other resources to help communities and societies rebuild in the wake of disasters. Humanitarian aid can play a big role in providing safe and secure shelter.
5. Humanitarian aid responds to climate change
In the coming years, more and more volunteers will be needed in the climate crisis.
As climate change continues to impact the planet, the most vulnerable populations will often feel its effects earlier and more intensely. Droughts, floods, land degradation, reduced farmable land—how climate change manifests may not look the same in different parts of the globe, but it will impact communities everywhere. International humanitarian aid can respond to food shortages, displacement, and other impacts of climate change.
6. Humanitarian aid builds local capacity
International humanitarian aid provides essential relief during emergencies, but aid is important beyond those immediate responses. Humanitarian actors can help build local capacity by partnering with local organizations, hiring local staff, and working to develop the resources and skills of the local community.
When done effectively, this aspect of humanitarian aid allows future aid to come from local people and organizations, ultimately cutting down on reliance on international aid while prioritizing actors embedded in local contexts.
7. Humanitarian aid supports food security and nutrition
Humanitarian aid can be critical to helping populations affected by famine survive and recover. Some aid programs work to ensure communities can access food supplies, while other projects improve childhood nutrition.
A rapid response can save lives in times of crisis, so humanitarian organizations may keep food supplies positioned so they can swiftly move into affected areas when disasters occur.
8. Humanitarian aid plays a key role in global health
International aid can take a few different forms in the realm of healthcare, with effects felt around the world. Humanitarian organizations provide medical and mental health services to displaced populations and communities without the resources and infrastructure to provide these services and may also respond to disease outbreaks by delivering vital vaccinations and treatments.
9. Humanitarian aid saves lives
Above all, effective international humanitarian aid can save lives. Humanitarian responses operate with the primary goal of preventing loss of life, and aid can play a key role in mitigating the effects of crises, conflicts, and disasters.
Humanitarian aid responses, with the proper funding and resources, can support communities as they navigate a crisis, ultimately reducing the number of deaths and easing the burden communities face.
3 ways to assist with international humanitarian aid
Being mindful and respectful is essential during humanitarian work.
Programs designed more for the benefit of volunteers than for the community they’re supposed to be serving can turn people off from volunteering, but there’s a place for humanitarian aid when it’s delivered with compassion and intention. Think about how you can volunteer your time and skills, without taking jobs away from the local community or using needed resources.
Maybe you don’t have the medical knowledge to volunteer on the front lines, but you do speak the language of the local community and can help out in a transitional center for refugees in the aftermath of a crisis, for example. You can have a positive impact on humanitarian aid projects if you’re honest with yourself about your skill set and go where you’re really needed as a volunteer.
Some programs to explore include:
1. IVHQ: Affordable Childcare Volunteering in Cambodia
- IVHQ lets you volunteer in a range of places on projects spanning from teaching to childcare to wildlife conservation and beyond. In Cambodia, you’ll work in teaching or childcare in an orphanage or center for kids living with HIV or disabilities, helping with tasks like cooking, homework help, feeding, and more depending on your placement.
- Read IVHQ reviews
2. Maximo Nivel: Top-Rated Volunteer Abroad Programs in Latin America
- A locally-based organization in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, Maximo Nivel offers you the chance to join volunteer efforts and projects working with kids in Latin America. Whether you’re looking for a role in healthcare or eco-agriculture, construction or conservation, you’ll make an impact locally (and hone your Spanish skills) as you learn to serve.
- Read Maximo Nivel reviews
3. GVI: Community Development Expedition in Fiji
- GVI runs programs in partnership with international organizations so you can work on important local and global issues. The program in Fiji places you in an exciting beach location, giving you the chance to play a part in developing sustainable infrastructure in indigenous communities through school support, environmental education, water security, and more based on the specific needs of each village.
- Read GVI reviews
Get matched with 5 volunteer programs for FREE with our Online Advisor
The importance of humanitarian aid can’t be overstated
If you’re not qualified to volunteer during a humanitarian crisis, responsible donations can be just as important.
Whether it comes in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or assists with continued recovery, humanitarian aid can go a long way toward helping people and communities recover after the incredible disruption that comes from crises like natural disasters and armed conflicts. When it’s delivered with intention and empathy, humanitarian aid can save and improve lives.
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