The Relationship between Humanitarian Assistance and Aid for Development in the United Nations

Abstract

The present study deals with the close relationship between humanitarian assistance operations and aid for development and their incidence in the guidelines and activities of the United Nations. The starting point of the analysis of the current standards of assistance and aid is the special vulnerability of developing countries to humanitarian crises brought on by natural disasters, industrial and technological accidents, internal disturbances, genocides, and internal or international armed conflicts. Today, facing a humanitarian crisis the UN acts (in exercise of its function to bring about international humanitarian cooperation) through operations carried out by subsidiary organs, whose mandates cover this sphere of activity. Now, though, when a humanitarian crisis arises in a developing country, temporary humanitarian assistance is not enough. Rather programs should adapt themselves in an agreed-upon and integrated manner in sync with the actions of humanitarian assistanceoperations. The aid should, in this way, stress the importance of prevention and preparation before the likelihood of any humanitarian catastrophe. In turn, the operations of humanitarian assistance, like those of aid for development, should guarantee that the proper steps can be taken to go from immediate emergency assistance to the posterior stages of rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development.