Humanitarian Aid

PSO provides humanitarian aid through its member organisations in the event of conflict such as in Afghanistan and Iraq, famine in Africa and natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Turkey.

Humanitarian aid is not solely about emergency shelter, basic medical care and food provision. If there is an emergency, the aid must primarily focus on reinforcing the local population's resilience and normalising living conditions.

Primary education, micro credit systems, psychosocial care, water supply and organisation development are also important areas of attention. The member organisations active in the field of humanitarian aid are: ZOA-Vluchtelingenzorg, CARE Nederland, Dorcas Aid International, TEARfund Nederland, HealthNet International, ICCO, World Vision, Warchild and NOVIB.

These organisations' commitment is occasioned via their networks in developing countries and on the basis of cooperations with international and multilateral aid organisations such as Unicef and UNHCR.

In 2007, PSO adapted its policy and recorded this in the Capacity Development in Humanitarian Aid memo. This policy adaptation has put the emphasis even more squarely on the reinforcement of the capacity of local organisations in the field of humanitarian aid. 

Read the Capacity Development in Humanitarian Aid memo here.