Humanitarian Aid & Law

Boys at Charahi Qambar IDP (Refugee) Camp, Kabul Afghanistan - Photo by editor 2015

This page is not about the victims of war or other humanitarian disasters. The victims are dead and I pray they are remembered. This page is about and dedicated to the survivors, many or most of whom need help. "There but for the grace of God go I."
Before all else these are human beings, every one. - Editor

1. International Humanitarian Aid Organizations & Networks

The lists below are far from complete. This is a work in progress.
Uploaded November 5, 2017

Virtually every one of the following aid organizations has volunteer positions if you search for a while in their sites.
Virtually every one of the following has easy access for those wishing to donate.
Happiness comes from giving without expectations for reward.
THE LARGEST LIST OF HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATIONS can be found at: http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/who-we-are/the-movement/code-of-conduct/signatories-to-the-code-of-conduct/
Wikipedia also has a great list of humanitarian aid organizations:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Humanitarian_aid_organizations

United Nations: https://www.un.org/

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
http://www.unocha.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Office_for_the_Coordination_of_Humanitarian_Affairs

UNICEF: https://www.unicef.org/

UNHABITAT: https://unhabitat.org/
World Food Program (WFP): http://www1.wfp.org/

Relief Web
ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is administered by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The project began as the brainchild of the US Department of State, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which had noticed during the Rwanda crisis how poorly critical operational information was shared between NGOs, UN Agencies and Governments. In 1995, the Department's Senior Policy Adviser on Disaster Management led a series of discussions at UN HQ in Geneva and New York City, as well as a conference on the project at the US Department of State in which both ReliefWeb as a product and the internet in general were touted as fresh tools for the humanitarian community. Its official launch was also the launch of the UN's first disaster website. Recognizing how critical the availability of reliable and timely information in time of humanitarian emergencies is, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the creation of ReliefWeb and encouraged humanitarian information exchange through ReliefWeb by all governments, relief agencies and non-governmental organizations in Resolution 51/194 on 10 February 1997.[3] The General Assembly reiterated the importance of information sharing in emergencies and of taking advantage of OCHA's emergency information services such as ReliefWeb in Resolution 57/153 on 3 March 2003 (From Wikipedia)
https://reliefweb.int/

IRIN NEWS (Integrated Regional Information Networks)
After 19 years of award-winning humanitarian news and analysis, IRIN, originally the "Integrated Regional Information Networks", left the United Nations in January 2015 to relaunch as an independent, non-profit media venture. We have been providing ground reporting on humanitarian crises in a way nearly no other institution does. Outside the UN, we are even better positioned to play this critical role, drawing on the expertise, networks and credibility we have developed, and combining them with increased reach, a more innovative approach and a sharper voice.
Through a global network of more than 200 local correspondents, experienced editors and analysts, and an intimate knowledge of the humanitarian sector, IRIN provides insider multimedia news and analysis from hotspots in more than 70 countries.
http://www.irinnews.org/

The Borgen Project lists the top five humanitarian aid programs and has action center for advocacy:
https://borgenproject.org/5-top-humanitarian-aid-organizations/

World Food Program: www.wfp.org
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE) http://www.care.org/
Oxfam International https://www.oxfam.org/
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) http://www.ifrc.org/
Action Against Hunger (AAH) https://www.actionagainsthunger.org/about

Berkeley too has a good list:
http://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/c.php?g=496970&p=3626027
∞ ∞ ∞
The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. In 2016, more than 26 million people benefited from IRC programs and those of its partner organizations. Helped more than 24 million people gain access to primary and reproductive health care. Vaccinated more than 173,000 children under the age of one against measles. Supported more than 21,000 community health workers to treat communicable diseases in children under age 5 and treated more than 186,000 children under the age of five for acute malnutrition. Gave 3.8 million people access to clean drinking water or sanitation. Provided schooling and educational opportunities to more than 1.5 million children; trained more than 33,000 educators and supported more than 11,000 schools. Provided schooling and educational opportunities to more than 1.5 million children; trained more than 33,000 educators and supported more than 11,000 schools. Provided counseling, care and support to more than 42,000 vulnerable children and trained more than 2,200 child protection workers. Created or supported 2,000 village savings and loan associations that benefited more than 58,000 members who saved more than $2.4 million. https://www.rescue.org/
∞ ∞ ∞
BRAC - Disaster management and climate change, Health, nutrition and population, Water, sanitation and hygiene, Agriculture and food security, Integrated development, Microfinance, Enterprises and investments, Targeting the ultra-poor, Education, Migration, Skills Development, Community empowerment, Gender justice and diversity, Human rights and legal aid services, Urban Development. Operating in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Philippines, Sierra Leon, Liberia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, with offices in the US and Europe for raising awareness and funding.
Bangladesh/Headquarters: BRAC Centre, 75 Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212. Tel: 880-2-9881265. E-mail: info@brac.net http://www.brac.net/
∞ ∞ ∞
War Child .org.UK - We work with community groups and families to help find and protect unaccompanied minors, children working on the streets or young people in conflict with the law. We provide counseling and educational support, and speak up strongly for children’s rights. www.warchild.org.uk

A man in a camp. Photo by SRVU Editor

One of many... Photo by SRVU Editor

Small underground school. Classes are 25 cents a month. Photo by SRVU Editor

Photo by SRVU Editor

Two of millions of children in camps. Yet, they have hopes and dreams, that we, the educated and affluent can help them achieve if we care enough to act today. Photo by SRVU Editor

She lives in a tent, though the heat of summer and cold of winter. Before sunrise she wakes to beg in the streets so her family can eat.

Kobra Dastgirzada, President of Farah Farhat Faizi (“3-F”) Agricultural Products Production, in Kabul, a non-profit totally indigenous NGO that helps women of all ages start small companies. Photo by SRVU Editor

2. Humanitarian Aid Principles

http://www.sphereproject.org/
The Sphere Project is a voluntary initiative that brings a wide range of humanitarian agencies together around a common aim - to improve the quality of humanitarian assistance and the accountability of humanitarian actors to their constituents, donors and affected populations.
The Sphere Handbook, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, is one of the most widely known and internationally recognized sets of common principles and universal minimum standards in life-saving areas of humanitarian response.
Established in 1997, the Sphere Project is not a membership organization. Governed by a Board composed of representatives of global networks of humanitarian agencies, the Sphere Project today is a vibrant community of humanitarian response practitioners. (Draft 2, 2018 Online version now available.)

OCHA, “Humanitarian Principles,” (2010).
ICRC, “The Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief,” (1994).
http://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/who-we-are/the-movement/code-of-conduct/ An International Humanitarian Aid Organization can register and confirm its compliance with the Aid Principles here.
J. Labbé and P. Daudin, “Applying the humanitarian principles: Reflecting on the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross”, International Review of the Red Cross 97 (2015)
L. Minear, “The theory and practice of neutrality: Some thoughts on the tensions”, International Review of the Red Cross 81 (1999)

HarvardX has a most excellent free online class:
Humanitarian Response to Conflict and Disaster: PH558x
- Highly recommended by the editor of SRVU -