THEMATIC AREA
Foundations of humanitarian action
What is a humanitarian crisis and what principles should guide the humanitarian response in emergencies? This section explores key foundational aspects of humanitarian action: what defines its identity, what distinguishes it from other forms of international cooperation, and on what ethical basis any intervention is built.
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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 distinguish it from any other type of intervention. It operates in specific contexts related to disasters, conflicts and displacement, is guided by ethical principles that no other form of cooperation shares, and prioritises certain types of actions, with technical standards that seek to guarantee a dignified and quality response for the people affected.
- 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 Sphere Project, which emerged in 1997 in the aftermath of the Rwanda crisis, is the global reference framework for quality and accountability in humanitarian action, adopted by the vast majority of humanitarian organisations.
- The first section of the Sphere Handbook brings together the Humanitarian Charter, the protection principles and the Core Humanitarian Standard, connecting the technical standards with the ethical and legal foundations of humanitarian action.
- The second section of the Sphere Handbook includes minimum technical standards for water, sanitation and hygiene, food security and nutrition, shelter and settlement, and health.
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How can I continue to deepen my understanding of humanitarian action?
The Sphere Handbook is a great starting point for better understanding humanitarian action, as it connects the technical aspects of health and other sectors with the humanitarian imperative, the protection principles and the Core Humanitarian Standard.
It is also important to understand how the humanitarian system is organised, how it has evolved and transformed over the years, and what dilemmas and unfulfilled promises still lie ahead. When the time comes to translate all of this into a concrete intervention, it will be essential to understand the project cycle and which cross-cutting issues must always be considered.