5: Humanitarian Assistance

Save lives, alleviate suffering, and minimize the economic costs of conflict, disasters, and displacement.

Other Information:

A s stated in the National Security Strategy of 2006, “We will work to bolster threatened states, provide relief in times of crisis, and build capacity in developing states to increase their progress.” A nation’s ability to build and sustain a democratic and well-governed state that responds to the needs of its citizens is diminished or absent when affected by conflict or natural disaster. Conflicts, disasters, and human rights abuses threaten people’s lives and health, displace people, divide families, destabilize societies, and erode living standards. All countries face some risk of humanitarian emergency. An estimated 37 million people around the world are currently uprooted from their homes, 820 million do not have enough food to eat, and millions more are affected by conflict and disasters where they live. Humanitarian assistance responds to their needs, and transforms affected countries by forging a path toward recovery, growth, and stability. On behalf of the American people, the U.S. Government leads the international community in responding to the needs of refugees, internally displaced persons, victims of conflict and disasters, and vulnerable migrants. For many Americans, humanitarian assistance is the hallmark of U.S. foreign policy engagement and a demonstration of American compassion. The U.S. Government directly supports more than one-quarter of the cost of humanitarian activities undertaken by the UN and Red Cross organizations, and provides strong support to other NGOs. The United States is also a leader in the promotion of legal, orderly, and humane migration, building on our history and values as a country of immigration. The goal of humanitarian assistance is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and minimize the economic costs of conflict, disasters, and displacement. It requires urgent responses to rapid-onset emergencies, and concerted efforts to address hunger and protracted crisis situations, and build capacity to prevent and mitigate the effects of conflict and disasters. Humanitarian assistance is also the genesis of the transition to longterm political, economic, and social investments that can eliminate the root causes of conflict and displacement. The United States leads the international community in providing humanitarian assistance that is done on the basis of need alone and according to the principles of universality, impartiality, and human dignity. Without exception, flexibility to respond quickly is critical. We will improve strong, complementary multilateral and bilateral approaches to humanitarian assistance and promote responses that are rapid and well-coordinated. The United States will continue to be actively engaged in a major effort to reform UN humanitarian response, thereby holding it accountable with clear measurements for success. We will leverage influence, accountability, and responsibility-sharing by providing reliable and predictable contributions to international organizations. We will mobilize other donor governments, host governments, international organizations, NGOs and others in the private sector to maximize the effectiveness of humanitarian aid on behalf of beneficiaries and U.S. taxpayers.

Stakeholder(s):

• Department of Homeland Security: Homeland Security is responsible for refugee adjudications for resettlement into the United States and for admitting such individuals upon arrival. Our Homeland Security colleagues also provide the technical expertise on migration related matters for U.S. Government involvement in regional migration dialogues.


• Department of Health and Human Services: Health and Human Services is a key partner in international emergency and refugee health issues, particularly through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work with the UN and other humanitarian partners.


• Department of Defense: Defense plays an important role in efforts to mobilize large-scale logistical support in humanitarian emergencies; to stabilize countries affected by conflict, including providing security for the provision of humanitarian assistance; and to provide humanitarian assistance in environments so insecure that civilian agencies are not able to operate.

Objective(s):

5.1: Protection, Assistance, and Solutions

5.1.1: Protection

5.1.2: Assistance

5.1.3: Solutions

5.2: Disaster Prevention and Mitigation

5.3: Migration Management

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