Humanitarian aid (also known as emergency aid) is development co-operation's first aid kit. In principle, aid can be provided anywhere in the world to people who have been victims of disasters, either man-made (war, attacks, explosions) or natural (earthquakes, hurricanes, floods).
The country hit must however make an official request for assistance to the international community. The Humanitarian Aid Division (DMV/HH) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (see HYPERLINK l "note_1"contact information below) focuses on two forms of aid. The first is provided in countries affected by protracted wars or crises; the second in acute emergencies: disasters, attacks and sudden outbreaks of war.
A number of principles apply in both cases. Aid is provided only in a life-threatening situation, to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable. It has to be demand-driven, impartial (provided regardless of race, religion, political conviction or gender) and adapted to local circumstances and customs.
The general aims of Dutch policy on emergency aid are outlined in the HYPERLINK "/default.asp?CMS_ITEM=ABC6A412567649E69F2990E044BC0A85X3X37588X21"Grant policy framework for humanitarian aid 2005.
In principle, all forms of aid can be provided, but in practice the focus is on the following sectors: shelter for displaced persons, food and agriculture, health, water and sanitation, education, protection of the most vulnerable and small-scale repatriation and housing of refugees and displaced persons.
The Netherlands hardly ever gives aid directly to governments. Instead, it nearly always works through international partners, such as the UN and Red Cross. In many cases, NGOs are also involved. They first have to be screened for reliability, implementation capacity and willingness to cooperate with the UN.
HOW DOES HUMANITARIAN AID WORK? The Netherlands provides humanitarian aid not only in protracted crises but also in acute emergencies: floods, volcano eruptions, hurricanes or explosions of ammunition stores. And, of course, in man-made disasters such as wars and attacks.
It is absolutely essential for the country concerned to officially request aid. Some countries fail to do this, for a variety of reasons. Other factors that are taken into account include the scale of the disaster, the government's capacity to deal with it and the contribution from other donors, particularly the EU.
In some cases, the Netherlands provides no humanitarian aid, even in acute emergencies. For example, during the floods in Mozambique in spring 2000, the Netherlands was the only donor to provide budget support. It gave Mozambique ¤51 million to spend as it saw fit.
The money was used effectively to help fund the reconstruction programme developed by the country itself. Specific attention was paid to health, infrastructure, water and sanitation. The contribution from the Netherlands was used to repair 900 classrooms and build a 140-kilometre dyke, for instance.
An example of international aid in an acute crisis was the volcano eruption in Goma, in the extreme north-east of Congo, in January 2002.
The embassies and the UN received a message with a request for assistance from the capital in Kinshasa. The Humanitarian Aid Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed the situation, based on reports from the Dutch embassy, UN, Red Cross, Médecins sans Frontières and other organisations.
Within a few hours, a mission of the United Nations Disaster Assessment Committee (UNDAC), of which the Netherlands is also a member, had left for Goma. The UNDAC mission quickly issued a report: within a few days it was clear how much money would be needed and what would be required of each country and organisation (eg the UNFPA, UNICEF and the Red Cross).
CONTACT: Within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Humanitarian Aid Division of the Human Rights and Peacebuilding Department (DMV) has primary responsibility for implementing emergency aid: HYPERLINK "mailto:[email protected]"[email protected].
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