OCHA on Message: Humanitarian Access [EN/AR]

What is Humanitarian Access ?

Humanitarian access concerns humanitarian actors’ ability to reach people affected by crisis, as well as an affected population’s ability to access humanitarian assistance and services.

Access is therefore a fundamental pre -requisite to effective humanitarian action. Full and unimpeded access is essential to establish operations, move goods and personnel where they are needed, implement distributions, provide health services and carry out other activities, and for affected people to fully benefit from the assistance and services made available. In situations of disaster or civil unrest, national authorities have primary responsibility for the well - being of those affected.

Specifically in situations of armed conflict, the responsibility for the civilian population’s well -being lies with all of the parties to conflict. If they are unable or unwilling to meet the basic needs of the affected population within their control, they are obliged to allow and facilitate the impartial provision of assistance.

Our ability to establish and maintain humanitarian access is related to our adherence to humanitarian principles (see OOM Humanitarian Principles).

For example, if one or more parties to a conflict believe, rightly or wrongly, that humanitarian actors are acting in favour of a political or military outcome, or that humanitarian action is not being implemented strictly on the basis of humanitarian needs alone, they will be less willing to allow the implementation of humanitarian activities.

Constraints on Access Many types of constraints affect humanitarians’ ability to reach people in need of assistance, particularly in situations of armed conflict, but can also be problematic in natural disaster contexts.

These constraints also affect the ability of affected populations to have full access to humanitarian aid.
They include:

• Restrictions of movement of personnel and humanitarian supplies.
• Physical environment (impediments related to climate, terrain or lack of infrastructure).
• Interference into humanitarian activities (for example, the diversion of aid).
• Active fighting and military operations.
• Attacks on humanitarian personnel, goods and facilities .

It is important to note that not all constraints on access are deliberately obstructive and may not constitute violations of international law. They can include physical problems such as a lack of roads, or climatic conditions such as snow. In many cases, a combination of access constraints create limit access rather than a single factor. Achieving and maintaining access usually requires coordinated efforts, such as liaison with the relevant State and non -State actors at all levels, to establish acceptance for humanitarian actors and their work. In recent years, bureaucratic constraints, politically and economically motivated attacks on humanitarian personnel and active fighting have increasingly contributed to limited access to conflict - affected populations.