According to this law, the humanitarian aid is defined as a set of activities financed from the national budget in order to prevent loss of life and injury, to alleviate suffering and to restore basic living conditions of people after an emergency, as well as to mitigate long-lasting consequences of emergencies and to prevent their occurrence and negative consequences.

The provision of humanitarian assistance is governed by fundamental international humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence. Czechia endorsed these principles in 2006, having joined the Good Humanitarian Donorship platform. Czechia co-chaired the Good Humanitarian Donorship initiative together with Denmark in 2012 – 2013.

Czechia appreciates and supports the principal role played by the United Nations in coordination of humanitarian action, respects and supports the work of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), including its National Societies. As EU member, Czechia takes part in the implementation of the Action Plan to the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid and supports the global humanitarian activities of the European Union.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for providing humanitarian aid to countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), while the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for providing humanitarian aid to EU and EEA countries. Every year (at its beginning), the Humanitarian Aid Operation Strategy of the Czech Republic for the respective year is being adopted; its purpose is to provide an overview of the basic aims of Czech humanitarian assistance on the background of global humanitarian needs and international commitments.

More information on the Czech humanitarian aid.