Written by: Michael Paratharayil¹, Email:  This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it , Regional Emergency Officer- Central and South East Asia and Middle East, Christian Aid, London, UK

Christian  Aid (CA) has been pro-active in promoting and applying Sphere Standards in humanitarian programmes since the  project was launched. It implements humanitarian programmes through 600 national NGOs in more than 60 countries across the world. CA’s approach to implementing humanitarian programmes is to  accompany partners in their work and to provide staff in country to work with the  partners. Since 1997, CA has ensured that all staff are trained on Sphere Standards and the Humanitarian Charter.  Our humanitarian programmes are based on Sphere and monitored and evaluated against them. From an organizational experience, this approach has resulted in greater quality, accountability, co-ordination and the participation of the beneficiaries. We have highlighted  5 examples below, on how CA and partners have applied Sphere Standards and the Humanitarian Charter in different parts of the world.

In order to maximise the coping strategies of those affected by disasters, it is important to acknowledge the differing vulnerabilities, needs and capacities of affected groups. Specific factors, such as gender, age, disability and HIV/AIDS status, affect vulnerability and shape people’s ability to cope and survive in a disaster context. In particular, women, children, older people and people living with HIV/ AIDS (PLWH/A) may suffer specific disadvantages in coping with a disaster and may face physical, cultural and social barriers in accessing the services and support to which they are entitled. Frequently ethnic origin, religious or political affiliation, or displacement may put certain people at risk who otherwise would not be  considered vulnerable. 

Written by: Samuel Tadesse, CARE Ethiopia, Emergency Operations Officer, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Those video clips were recorded during a Sphere Learning event that was held in Singapore on the 23-24 October 2006. They contain field stories told by practitioners about examples on how some of the Sphere Standards were implemented in practice and why they were important.

We wish to express our views on the Sphere Project and its benefits for the IDPs throughout the past decade. We know that these sphere standards have enable to fulfill the minimum requirements of the affected people by conflict and disaster with right to life with dignity, right assistance to right people at right time with transparency.

Caritas Australia has be a strong advocate and supporter of Sphere since it’s inception and, like many international NGOs, has made efforts to institutionalise the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards into our policies, procedures and programs over the past 7 years.  While it is clear that Sphere has successfully influenced our policies and procedures in relation to disaster response, it is much harder to say that we have been able to effectively implement Sphere in our disaster response programs.  A key reason for this is that we work mostly through local partners and the ability for Sphere to be implemented in the field is very much dependent on our partner’s own understanding and capacity.