THEMATIC AREA
Foundations of humanitarian action
What is a humanitarian crisis, and what principles should guide the humanitarian response in emergencies? This section explores basic but important aspects of humanitarian action: what defines its identity, what distinguishes it from other forms of international cooperation, what ethical foundation it is built on and what dilemmas it faces in complex emergencies.
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What is international cooperation and what forms does it take?
International cooperation is the global framework under which different actors collaborate to address humanitarian, social, economic and technical problems that exceed the capacities of the affected countries.
Under this umbrella coexist two major pillars that share actors, mechanisms and funding, but have different objectives, timeframes and principles: development cooperation and humanitarian action. Understanding what each one is, how they are similar and how they differ is the starting point for anyone who wants to work in this sector.
- Humanitarianism is an ideology based on the belief that all human lives are of equal value and that it is essential to act to alleviate suffering and protect the dignity of people affected by disasters and conflicts.
- The humanitarian imperative establishes the obligation to act, not as an act of charity, but as recognition that all affected people have the right to receive assistance and protection.
- Humanitarian action has evolved from a classical model of one-off emergency response towards a modern model that operates in prolonged and complex crises, with unresolved tensions around its colonial legacy and its relationship with political and economic powers.
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- They are not the same: humanitarian action seeks to alleviate suffering in emergencies from the ethical foundation of humanitarianism, while development cooperation pursues structural and sustainable change to address the root causes of poverty and vulnerability.
- Both share actors, funding mechanisms and project logic, but differ in timeframes, guiding principles and the types of context in which they operate.
- In protracted crises, the lines separating the two fields become blurred. The humanitarian-development-peace nexus proposes integrating them simultaneously, although its practical application is often complex and generates tensions.
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What defines and distinguishes humanitarian action?
Humanitarian action has its own characteristics that set it apart from any other type of intervention. It operates in specific contexts related to disasters, conflicts and displacement, and is governed by ethical principles that no other form of cooperation shares, even if this means confronting complex dilemmas.
- A disaster triggers a humanitarian emergency when its scale exceeds the local response capacity and international assistance is required.
- Many emergencies evolve into protracted crises that last years or even decades.
- Complex humanitarian crises combine armed conflict, forced displacement, institutional collapse, food insecurity and epidemic risk.
- In 2026, the humanitarian system estimates that 239 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with a hyperprioritised target of 87 million, a forced reduction driven by the collapse of humanitarian funding in 2025.
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- The four humanitarian principles are humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.
- Humanitarian principles are the ethical and operational foundation of humanitarian action and what distinguishes it from other forms of international cooperation, including military interventions and development cooperation.
- Humanity and impartiality are moral pillars: they require alleviating suffering without discrimination and prioritising the most urgent needs.
- Neutrality and independence are operational tools: they enable the negotiation of humanitarian access with all parties to a conflict. Neutrality is often controversial and independence is heavily conditioned by humanitarian funding.
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- The humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence can conflict with one another. When this happens, nothing guarantees a perfect solution.
- The most common dilemma in humanitarian action is the scarcity of resources: there is never enough to meet all needs. This requires prioritising between coverage and quality, between more or less vulnerable populations, and between more or less costly activities.
- Humanitarian organisations sometimes remain silent in the face of abuses and injustices to avoid losing access to populations in need of assistance. Although that silence is not necessarily complicity, it is highly controversial and widely debated.
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