The goal of the humanitarian action carried out by Spanish Cooperation, in accordance with the provisions of its 2009-2012 Master Plan, is to help the populations affected by humanitarian crises through prevention plans, emergency relief, immediate post-crisis measures and reconstruction, as well as by strengthening the Spanish system of response and prevention, and by participating in advocacy and awareness-raising activities. An overriding and permanent concern is that of respect for humanitarian principles and spaces.
Our work is coordinated by the Humanitarian Action Office (HAO), which was set up under Royal Decree 1403/2007 of 26 October 2007, and is regulated by the Statutes of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).
Among other sections, the HAO has:

• The Department for Emergencies and Post Conflict Situations
• The Prevention and Evaluation Uni

and performs the following essential functions:

• Crisis identification and monitoring: the HAO monitors humanitarian crises around the world, to prepare an appropriate response for the needs and severity of each situation. To do so, the HAO maintains close contact with the actors on the ground, the Technical Cooperation Offices and other partners.
• Response to emergencies, through the design, development and implementation of humanitarian disaster relief. This area of activity covers aspects such as the development and dissemination of management protocols, criteria for sectoral intervention and the reinforcement of AECID’s  logistics mechanisms. In addition, the HAO firmly supports strengthening national, local and community responses.
• Consolidated crisis response, via humanitarian conventions with leading international organisations and key programmes in the sector. Currently, the AECID, through its HAO, funds diverse initiatives in the field of humanitarian response, with the aim of providing predictable and flexible financing. The HAO currently collaborates with the ICRC, UNICEF, WFP, UNICEF, FAO and OCHA. It also participates in multilateral financing instruments such as Common Humanitarian Funds for Sudan and the DRC, several Emergency Response Funds (Ethiopia, Occupied Palestinian Territories and Colombia) and promotes Spanish participation in the UN Central Emergency Response Fund.
• Coordination: Spanish Humanitarian Action works in close coordination with other key humanitarian actors, in compliance and cooperation with international initiatives in this area (such as the Good Humanitarian Donorship forum and the UN Humanitarian Reform agenda).
• HAO actively participates in AECID’s agreements and calls for projects with leading Spanish humanitarian NGOs.
• Prevention: HAO supports disaster prevention instruments, with special emphasis on systems at local and community levels.
• HAO is working to gradually incorporate the approach of linking relief, rehabilitation and development (LRRD).
• Monitoring and evaluation, both of our own actions and of our partners, to obtain a more objective view of their impact and efficiency, and to draw lessons for future interventions.