Human Security and Humanitarian Assistance
Humanitarian assistance is generally defined as aid designed to save lives, alleviate suffering,
and maintain and protect human dignity based on humanitarianism. Its ultimate goal is to
protect the lives, dignity and safety of the most vulnerable – including refugees,
internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and disaster victims – and support them so that they will
be able to stand on their own feet again. The Government of Japan considers humanitarian
assistance as not only an emergency response measure1 but also to include rescue operations ,
recovery and reconstruction assistance as well as disaster risk reduction.
Humanitarian assistance is part of efforts to ensure human security. The concept of human
security, which focuses on individuals, seeks to protect them from threats to their survival,
livelihood and dignity, and help them fulfill their abundant potential. In other words, human
security aims to support their self-reliance and create a sustainable society through protection
and empowerment. As a nation that endorses human security as one of the pillars of its
foreign policy, Japan will continue to extend humanitarian assistance in an appropriate and
proactive manner while taking into account recent developments regarding humanitarian crises.