humanitarian aid
Sign in to savematerial or logistical assistance for people in need
AI overview
Humanitarian aid is assistance provided to people facing hardship or crisis, typically in the form of goods like food and medicine or logistical support such as transportation and shelter. It matters because it helps address immediate human suffering during emergencies like natural disasters, conflicts, or famines.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Research
1,944 papers- Humanitarian Aid Workers.2025
- Decolonising humanitarianism or humanitarian aid?PLOS global public health · 2022
- Neurosurgical humanitarian aid.Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics · 2009
- The gender plight of humanitarian aid.Lancet (London, England) · 2019
- The Humanitarian Aid Project to the Syrian People.The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ · 2021
via PubMed
Article
A UNICEF worker is distributing high-calorie food during an emergency situation in Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 2008. Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance, usually in the short-term, to people in need. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and victims of natural disasters, wars, and famines. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity.
While often used interchangeably, humanitarian aid and humanitarian assistance are distinct concepts. Humanitarian aid generally refers to the provision of immediate, short-term relief in crisis situations, such as food, water, shelter, and medical care. Humanitarian assistance, on the other hand, encompasses a broader range of activities, including longer-term support for recovery, rehabilitation, and capacity building. Humanitarian aid is distinct from development aid, which seeks to address underlying socioeconomic factors.