Humanitarian aid is a way of helping people who are victims of an exceptional crisis.

These populations may be affected by a natural disaster or a war, for example.

A distinction is made between humanitarian aid, or emergency aid, and development aid, given to poor countries in the long term.

This aid can take many forms: donations of money, and essential goods and equipment but also by sending specialized personnel to carry out interventions on the spot, to back up local actions.

it may come from national sources, such as states or international sources, such as the UN or the European Union. 

There are also many associations and NGOs, secular or religious, dedicated to humanitarian aid.

The largest grouping of such organizations is the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 

This originated as an institution founded in the 19th century by a Swiss businessman, Henry Dunant.

His project was to create a neutral organization to care for victims of war without distinction of nationality.

One hundred sixty years later, it is still active throughout the world.

Donations to this type of association allow everyone to help people in emergency situations.