This statement articulates CARE’s commitment to the humanitarian imperative in line with its vision, mission, and program principles.

Goal
1. Responding to humanitarian emergencies is an essential part of CARE’s work to fight poverty and injustice and we recognize that emergencies are a cause and effect of both. CARE helps people cope with crises through disaster risk reduction, emergency relief, preparedness and post-crisis recovery.

Objectives
2. The primary objective of humanitarian response is to meet immediate needs of affected populations in the poorest communities in the world.  Recognizing that people have the fundamental right to life with dignity, CARE also strives to address the underlying causes of people’s vulnerability.

3. CARE is a major force in humanitarian response and has a responsibility as a leader in the sector to demonstrate the highest standards of effectiveness and quality.

Principles
4. CARE is a signatory of and holds itself accountable to accepted international humanitarian principles, standards and codes of conduct, including the Red Cross/Crescent & NGO code of conduct, the Sphere standards, and the HAP principles and standards.

5. CARE adheres to the principle of impartiality so that we provide assistance on the basis of need regardless of race, creed or nationality. CARE is committed to addressing the rights of vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, in times of crisis.

6. CARE upholds the principle of working independently of political, commercial, military, or religious objectives and promotes the protection of humanitarian space.

Approach
7. CARE believes that local capacity can provide the most effective response to emergencies. However, by their very nature, emergencies often overwhelm local capacities, and in such situations CARE will respond in an appropriate, timely and effective way.

8. CARE will respond wherever we can add value by:
• Providing additional resources
• Enhancing the quality of response
• Committing to longer term solutions
• Building local capacities

9. We have a range of response options:
• Providing direct relief
• Working with and through partners
• Advocating with national and international bodies
• Keeping the general public informed

10. CARE develops focused expertise both operationally and at the global policy level in certain specific humanitarian areas.

11. In keeping with our programming principles, CARE develops both local and international partnerships to strengthen local capacities and to add value through collaborative approaches.

12. CARE brings a longer-term view to its humanitarian work, including supporting people be less vulnerable to disasters in the first place. Where appropriate, our programs link emergency relief, recovery, and long-term development, and include measures for disaster preparedness and risk reduction.