Humanitarian and development aid: What is the difference?
This article sheds some light on the unique roles of humanitarian and development aid and their vital role in supporting communities and fostering sustainable development.
Humanitarian aid: Short-term relief
Humanitarian aid is primarily designed to save lives and alleviate suffering. It’s designed as a response to a humanitarian crisis. For example, after a natural disaster strikes or where there is armed conflict:
- Short-term
- Delivered in disaster zones
- Responds to an incident or event
- Focused on saving lives and core relief
What are Core Relief items?
Short-term humanitarian aid covers basic needs. This includes delivering food and water and providing health services. It also includes providing temporary shelter, soap, blankets, cooking equipment and lamps, like SunBell. These non-food items are referred to as core relief items.
Read more about Sunbell
Large international organizations like the UNHCR, International Red Cross and World Food Programme work globally to provide emergency assistance and distribute core relief items when disaster strikes.
Development aid: Long-term assistance
Development aid focuses on structural issues that hinder economic, institutional, and social development. It assists in building resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods.
- Long-term
- Delivered in developing countries
- Responds to systematic problems
- Focused on economic, social and political development
Types of developmental aid
Generally, development aid includes financial help. It often exists alongside humanitarian aid during and post-crisis. For example, if an earthquake strikes a country. But, it also exists in developing countries that do not have humanitarian crises. Development aid may include:
- Tied Aid (where a percentage is formally tied and spent in the country it originates)
- Untied Aid (can be spent freely by recipient).
- Project Aid (typically involves providing funds for a specific project),
- Resource Aid (helps supply resources in areas of critical shortages.)
- Technical aid (provide technical assistance and training to communities)
- Voluntary aid: (incorporates volunteers who donate their labor as a form of aid.)
Continued support equals continued impact
Humanitarian and development aid is critical in supporting communities and promoting sustainable development. Understanding the differences between these two forms of aid and how they work together is crucial for effectively planning and implementing aid programs. Whether providing immediate relief in response to emergencies or addressing systemic issues to promote long-term growth, humanitarian and development aid strives to positively impact communities worldwide. As the world faces humanitarian crises and ongoing development challenges, it is vital that we continue supporting and investing in these critical aid forms.
Sources: