| Humanity First | |
| Type: | International non-governmental organization |
| Founded Date: | 1994 |
| Founder: | Mirza Tahir Ahmad |
| Registration Id: | England & Wales 1149693 |
| Origins: | London, United Kingdom |
| Area Served: | Worldwide - Registered in 52 countries |
| Focus: | Education/training Advancement of health and saving of lives Prevention and relief of poverty Overseas aid/famine relief |
| Method: | Disaster Relief and Long Term Projects |
| Revenue: | $5,590,710 (2017)[1] |
Humanity First is an international charity that provides disaster relief and long term development assistance to vulnerable communities in 52 countries across 6 continents. The organisation is run by volunteers with diverse skillsets across the world and has access to thousands of extra volunteers worldwide. Volunteer staff in all areas (operations, expert medics, engineers and teachers) often pay their own expenses to support the international projects.
The organisation differentiates itself in the aid industry with a high level of efficiency. Extensive use of volunteers, partnerships and global sourcing result in high levels of funds going straight to projects. Similarly, the value of the aid delivered (projects as well as free man-hours of doctors, engineers and teachers) is greater than the value of donations received. Uniquely, volunteer staff often pay their own international expenses.
As immediate disaster responses conclude, the charity also often begins rehabilitation services through orphan care, water infrastructure and vocational training.[2]
The organisation gained Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
The charity is based upon the preservation of human life and dignity. Its objectives are to:
The concept of Humanity First originates from a desire to provide aid on the basis of need alone, irrespective of race, religion, colour or political allegiance. The organization was established in London, UK, and registered in 1994 by then worldwide head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad. Ahmadiyya is a global reform movement within Islam, with 20 million followers, one of its objectives is "establishing peace at all levels of society and to protect the basic human rights of all people".[3]
Humanity First grew into a multi-national aid agency and non-profit charitable organization, often working with other agencies such as the Red Cross, Oxfam, and Save the Children. The organization has access to thousands of volunteers across the globe. Humanity First today has Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
The organization splits its work into two areas;
Disaster relief covers the provision of humanitarian aid, medical relief, shelter, food and safe water in response to both man-made and natural disasters. Examples in the last 10 years include responses to the following: Kobe earthquake in Japan, Kosovo War, 1999 İzmit earthquake in Turkey, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia[4] [5] and Sri Lanka, Hurricane Katrina,[6] and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake[7] [8] in Pakistan. More recently, they have responded to catastrophic flooding in Suriname, Guyana[9] and Kenya, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami and the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, UK.[10]
Table of Disaster Relief Work (Non-Exhaustive)
The table below illustrates disasters that HF have been involved in and level of assistance they have provided to local victims:
| Disaster | Year | Countries Affected | Scale of Disaster | People Assisted | Nature of Help |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosovo | 1997 | Kosovo, Albania, Serbia | 10k killed, 850k displaced | > 10,000 | Medical, Food, Clothing |
| Izmit Earthquake | 1999 | Turkey | 17k killed, 60k homeless | 15,000 | Medical, Shelter, Food, Clothing |
| Gujarat Earthquake | 2001 | India | 20k killed, 166k injured, 600k homeless | 5,500 | Medical, Shelter, Food, Clothing |
| Asian tsunami | 2004 | Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia | 220k killed, 1.6 Million homeless | 30,000 | Medical, Shelter, Food, Clothing |
| Hurricane Katrina | 2005 | United States | 1.8k killed, Millions homeless | 1,050 | Medical, Shelter/ Re-Furb, Food, Clothing, IT |
| Kashmir Earthquake | 2005 | Pakistan | 80k killed, 3.3M homeless | 60,000 | Medical, Shelter, Food, Clothing, Counseling |
| Latin American Flooding | 2005–06 | Suriname, Guyana | 30k displaced and homeless | 10,000 | Food, Clothing, IT |
| Peru Earthquake | 2007 | Peru | 250k homeless | 2,000 | Food, Clothing, Shelter |
| Cyclone Sidr | 2007 | Bangladesh | 5k killed, 34k injured, 500k affected | 7,000 | Medical, Water, Food, Clothing, Shelter |
| Kenya Post-Election Violence | 2008 | Kenya | 1.5k killed, 600k displaced | 2,500 | Medical, Food, Clothing |
| Cyclone Nargis | 2008 | Burma | 146k killed, 1M displaced | 2,000 | Clothing, Water |
| Gaza Violence | 2009 | Gaza, Palestine | 7k killed or injured, 100k homeless | 7,000 | Food, Education |
| Sumatra Earthquake | 2009 | Indonesia | 4k killed or injured, 1.2M displaced | 1,000 | Medical, Food, Shelter |
| Cyclone Aila | 2009 | Bangladesh | 8.5k killed or injured, 1M homeless | 1,600 | Food, Water, Clothing, Shelter |
| Haiti Earthquake | 2010 | Haiti | 230k killed, 300k injured, 1M affected | 55,000 [11] | Medical, Water, Orphan Care, Shelter |
| West African Ebola virus epidemic | 2014 | Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria, Guinea, Mali, Senegal | 11.3k killed, 28.6k infected | 200,000 treated [12] | Medical, Water, Orphan Care, Shelter |
| Grenfell Tower fire | 2017 | London, UK | 72 deaths, 74 hospitalised, hundreds displaced | Assistance at shelters, and food, water and clothing at the tower site. Funds also raised for family assistance. | |
| Syrian Civil War | 2014–Present | Syria, Jordan | 498k killed, 7.6m internally displaced, 5.1m refugees | 7,500+ (2014–2016) refugees.[13] | Refugees provided with shelter, food, healthcare, and education for children |
| Rohingya crisis | 2017–Present | Bangladesh refugee camp | 650,000 refugees | 30,000+ | Medical treatment, emergency water and sanitation, and regular hot food |
Humanity First approaches its human development projects with long term sustainability as a priority. The projects are rooted in a community deeply affected by a natural disaster, war, or poverty. After the relief phase of the project has subsided, Humanity First works with the community to identify viable opportunities for growth and recovery.
Human development programs can be categorized under the categories of: 1) Health & Medical Programs, or 2) Educational & Vocational Programs. Health & Medical: Designed to provide much needed health and medical services and supplies to some of the world's most vulnerable populations. Educational & Vocational Programs: Designed to help create capacity and self-sufficiency through providing support for primary education for children and vocational training for adults in various under-privileged communities around the world
The organisation splits its long-term work into seven programmes:
Examples of Long-term Project Work
Humanity First runs a number of long-term projects largely in Africa and Asia:
The organisation is known for its high level of efficiency. Extensive use of volunteers, partnerships and global sourcing result in high levels of funds going straight to projects. Similarly, the value of the aid delivered (projects as well as free man-hours of doctors, engineers and teachers) is greater than the value of donations received. Uniquely, volunteer staff often pay their own international expenses.
Spending is subdivided from the organisation's two areas - long-term work in human development and short-term disaster relief. Volunteer staff in all areas (operations, expert medics, engineers and teachers) often pay their own expenses to support the international projects.
| Disaster Relief | 732,837 | |
| Gift of Sight | 143,259 | |
| Knowledge for Life | 443,603 | |
| Food Security | 473,781 | |
| Medical Program | 1,590,309 | |
| Learn a Skill | 282,965 | |
| Orphan Care | 86,965 | |
| Water for Life | 452,447 | |
| Refugee Assistance | 573,668 | |
| Social and Community Services | 82,518 | |
| Other Projects | 18,118 |
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