Emergency Humanitarian Action Emergency humanitarian action aims to provide assistance and protection for vulnerable populations and meet the fundamental needs of those affected by a natural disaster or conflict such as access to water and sanitation, food, shelter and medical care. It complements the assistance provided by the authorities of the country affected by a crisis and is part of a wider framework of assistance provided by the international community and, first and foremost, international organizations. Humanitarian action Published on : January 01st 2024 Updated on : March 12th 2026 Dans cette rubrique The ministry in action Action for peace and respect for human rights Action within the UN Security, Disarmament and Non-proliferation Emergency Humanitarian Action Protecting Human Rights Gender equality: a priority for France Commitment to international justice Digital Diplomacy Promoting a sovereign Europe The European Political Community Defence Europe France and the European Union European matters Promoting French businesses and France’s attractiveness Attracting foreign investment Attracting international students Destination France: The recovery and transformation plan for tourism Promoting French expertise in sport Supporting French exporters Supporting researchers and scientific cooperation globally The French Government’s Trade Policy Ensuring the presence of French culture Cultural Diplomacy Defending Francophonie and the French language Franco-German cooperation Supporting the cultural and creative industries Contributing to sustainable, balanced globalization Addressing the climate and environmental emergency Combating global social inequality External action of local government bodies Summits and global issues Regional strategies The Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS) is the lead for emergency humanitarian assistance at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It is responsible for handling crises abroad, notably coordinating France’s emergency humanitarian responses and maintaining ties with other humanitarian actors. In liaison with humanitarian correspondents based in embassies, the CDCS carries out field visits in order to address various types of crisis as effectively as possible. Through its Emergency Humanitarian Fund, the CDCS provides emergency assistance in cash or in kind. In this connection, it supports NGOs by financing their projects and maintaining a regular dialogue with them. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also has other financial instruments specialized in emergency assistance: The Directorate-General for Globalisation rolls out food assistance a part of which is destined for the World Food Programme, while the rest passes through NGOs, the International Committee of the Red Cross or national initiatives, The United Nations, International Organizations Directorate is responsible for France’s voluntary contributions to United Nations agencies working in humanitarian action as well as the Red Cross movement. The CDCS actively participates in reviewing the French humanitarian policy notably on themes such as dialogue with multilateral institutions, financing and reforming humanitarian action, disaster risk reduction and coordination between civilian and military organizations for humanitarian action. It is helping to draw up France’s humanitarian strategy in collaboration with representatives from associations and government departments partners of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Practical Guide - Access to financial services for non-profit organizations (NPOs), CDCS partners, engaged in international solidarity activities [in French] PDF - 900.9 KB Humanitarian Strategy of France (2023-2027) In the space of a few years, crises have multiplied, overlapped, and become chronic. Some have changed in nature, others in scale, to an extent... France’s humanitarian strategy (2018-2022) A French strategy to address growing needs. In the face of an increasing number of crises, their longer duration and more complex nature, humanitarian... International humanitarian law The atrocities committed on the battlefields of the Second World War made it clear that the First Geneva Convention signed in 1864 needed to be... Humanitarian aid for Ukraine From the first day of Russia’s war of aggression, 24 February 2022, France has been supporting Ukraine and the neighbouring countries hardest hit by... The FRANZ partnership for cooperation serving the populations in the South Pacific hit by natural disasters The trilateral partnership between France, Australia and New Zealand known as “FRANZ” was set up following the Joint Statement on Disaster Relief... French humanitarian action in the Palestinian Territories