Photos © Ukraine Alive 2022, Greater Good Charities, Brotherhood of Ukrainian Beekeepers
When disasters strike—whether natural or human-made—the immediate needs of affected communities can be overwhelming. Humanitarian aid plays a crucial role in responding to these emergencies, providing lifesaving support to people facing sudden displacement, food insecurity, unsafe shelter, and disrupted health care.
What is Humanitarian Aid?
Humanitarian aid refers to material and logistical assistance provided during emergencies to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity. These crises can stem from:
- Natural disasters (hurricanes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes)
- Armed conflict and war
- Food and water shortages
- Public health emergencies
- Environmental collapse or displacement
The core principle of humanitarian aid is the humanitarian imperative—that people affected by crises must receive assistance regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation. It is neutral, impartial, and independent.
Why Is Humanitarian Aid Important?
Crises often strip communities of basic necessities in an instant. Aid efforts bridge that gap, stabilizing affected populations while longer-term recovery begins.
Humanitarian aid provides:
- Emergency food and clean water
- Temporary shelter and clothing
- Medical care and hygiene supplies
- Protection for vulnerable populations, including children, older adults, and animals
- Psychosocial support to help individuals cope with trauma
Without these efforts, people in crisis face increased risks of disease, hunger, violence, and long-term displacement.
What Types of Humanitarian Aid Exist?
- Food and Water Distribution
Clean water and food are top priorities in nearly every emergency. Aid workers deliver staple food items and set up water stations or restore broken infrastructure to prevent malnutrition and disease.
- Shelter and Safety
Disasters often damage homes and critical infrastructure. Aid agencies provide tents, sleeping bags, and materials for temporary housing. Longer-term shelter reconstruction efforts help rebuild dignity and security.
- Health and Hygiene Support
Access to medical care is often disrupted. Aid includes mobile clinics, essential medicines, trauma kits, and hygiene items like soap, menstrual products, and diapers. Mental health services are increasingly integrated into care.
- Livelihood and Agricultural Support
To prevent prolonged economic instability, humanitarian efforts may support farmers and small business owners with tools, livestock feed, or seed supplies. In agricultural regions, even bees—key to pollination—may require aid.
- Animal and Environmental Aid
People and animals are interconnected. Some humanitarian programs include evacuation and care for animals, as well as environmental restoration in disaster zones. This holistic approach helps preserve both livelihoods and ecosystems.
How Humanitarian Aid Is Funded
Aid efforts rely on a mix of funding sources:
- Individual donations, including monthly giving programs
- Institutional donors, such as government agencies and multilateral organizations
- Corporate partnerships, often providing in-kind goods or logistics support
- Foundation grants supporting specific populations or interventions
Flexibility and sustainability are key—many organizations prioritize pre-positioning aid and funding local partners to respond more efficiently and equitably.
What Aid Does Greater Good Charities Provide?
The Greater Good Charities’ Disaster Relief Response Team monitors global crises around the clock.
When we identify crucial needs, we reach out to our network of thousands of partners around the globe. We provide grants, maintain caches of essential products for immediate relief, fly shelter pets out of harm's way, and move humanitarian and pet supplies into affected communities.
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This essential humanitarian work is made possible through generous donations from our supporters, including the monthly contributions from our Amplifiers.
- Providing Food and Essential Supplies: One of the many ways Greater Good Charities works to counter disasters is by providing essential items like food, blankets, socks, and scarves to people in need and food for those caring for pets. To date, we have provided aid to over 4.2 million people and pets in need, delivered aid to 26 countries, and raised over $87 million for humanitarian assistance.
- Ensuring Shelter and Safety: Often, infrastructure is damaged after a community faces a disaster or war. The Greater Good Charities team travels to shelters in need to help reconstruct and rebuild, taking on projects that improve the lives of humans and animals from start to finish.
- Helping Communities in Crisis: We respond to crises, whether human-made or natural disasters. In Ukraine, we have been on the ground assisting relief efforts in Ukraine. We have delivered over 11 million meals to people in need, 31.6 million pet meals, and replaced 56 water tanks to supply 15,000 people with clean drinking water. We are also supporting relief efforts for victims that might surprise you – bees. Ukraine is among the top producers of honey in the world. Bees pollinate crops essential to the food supply, and the ongoing war poses a serious threat to this industry. Greater Good Charities supplies bee pollen, queen bees, and hives to beekeepers to avert food insecurity at home and abroad.
- Funding Local Organizations: The fastest way we provide help is to fund local organizations that deploy quickly when a crisis strikes. Greater Good Charities works with partners worldwide to allocate resources and assistance for critical humanitarian needs. When a devastating earthquake struck Turkey, we worked with partners to provide more than 250,000 meals to earthquake victims, refugees, and rescue workers. Through our long-time partnership with the Maui Humane Society, we mobilized and provided aid to people and animals during the wildfires.
How You Can Help
Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we respond when disaster strikes. With just a few clicks, you can become a hero for people and pets by giving today.
Donate monthly to become an Amplifier, our community of donors that knows preparation is the most crucial part of humanitarian response.
