Polska Akcja Humanitarna|Polish Humanitarian Action

Polish Humanitarian Action began its work over thirty years ago, born from the conviction that every person deserves dignity and support, and from a spirit of solidarity that led to the decision to send our first humanitarian convoy to war-torn Sarajevo in 1992.

Since then, PAH has grown significantly and expanded its work across the world. We have provided immediate assistance to people affected by the escalation of the war in Ukraine and have developed long-term programmes supporting internally displaced people in Ukraine and refugees in Poland.

Today, PAH is a dynamic organisation employing several hundred people. In our country offices, the vast majority of staff are local professionals who best understand their context, culture and language, which allows us to work more effectively and respectfully with the communities we serve.

PAH currently operates and implements projects in Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Palestine, South Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, Yemen, Syria and Poland.

What does PAH do?
• We provide humanitarian aid wherever it is needed most, responding to crises caused by natural disasters and armed conflicts. While rapid emergency response is our priority, we also work on long-term solutions that help prevent future emergencies.
• We protect civilians by safeguarding life and health and providing assistance to anyone in need, without discrimination or taking sides in conflicts. We are guided by respect for all people, while paying particular attention to those most at risk, including women, children, older people, people with disabilities and internally displaced persons.
• We help responsibly, remembering that we are guests in the places where we work and ensuring our support brings lasting impact. Our assistance is tailored to local cultures and delivered mainly by local staff, and whenever possible we source goods and materials locally to help strengthen local economies.
• We educate the public through social campaigns that raise awareness of the needs of communities we support and highlight global challenges such as access to water, food, shelter and sanitation. We encourage people in Poland to engage in humanitarian action, support local fundraising initiatives, and involve schools in nationwide programmes that build empathy and a sense of global responsibility among children and young people.

Our activities:
• Access to safe water and sanitation
• Food assistance
• Shelter and non-food items
• Healthcare support
• Legal and psychosocial support
• Access to education
• Emergency response
• Financial aid
• Disaster risk reduction

Across all these areas, we work to meet the most urgent needs of communities affected by crises. We repair and build essential water, sanitation and shelter infrastructure, provide food assistance and basic supplies, support healthcare facilities with equipment, medicines and trained staff, and offer legal, psychological and social support to those most at risk. We also help children continue their education by rebuilding schools, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, and providing the materials and counselling they need. Our programmes are designed to strengthen local resilience, promote wellbeing and ensure that people receive the support they need to live safely and with dignity.

We tailor our projects to local needs and challenges, believing that this is the only way to provide assistance that is truly effective. We act with full respect for the principles of humanitarianism, impartiality, neutrality and independence, always prioritising the safety and dignity of the people we support. Our work is guided by respect and responsibility, and we have established clear standards, such as our Code of Ethical Conduct, to ensure a safe, abuse-free and non-discriminatory environment for everyone involved.

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