Ethics and accountability

Medair maintains strict safeguarding and protection policies and requires all staff and volunteers to adhere to a comprehensive Code of Conduct. Medair has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) and maintains confidential feedback and complaint mechanisms for beneficiaries to report concerns safely.

Our Global Support Office is in Switzerland - where we were originally founded in 1989 - with Shared Service Centres in Kenya and Lebanon and national offices in France, Germany, South Korea, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States. Medair is currently responding to humanitarian needs in 13 countries worldwide and has responded in 45 countries since 1989.

We rely on the time, money and prayer of our generous network of supporters. If you'd like to volunteer, make a donation, partner with us or learn how you can pray for our work, visit our Get Involved page for more information.

Internationally, 88.9% of all funds received by Medair wnt directly to delivering humanitarian assistance in 2024. Only 11.1% was used for management and fundraising. Medair publishes this breakdown transparently in its annual reports and on its website.

Medair focuses on people's most urgent needs in times of crisis, which most often includes water and sanitation, nutrition, health, and shelter. We also use cash assistance where appropriate to help people provide for themselves, allowing them to prioritise their biggest needs while investing in the local economy. The people we serve are often traumatised, so we offer mental health and psychosocial support.

Our mandate is to respond to urgent humanitarian needs resulting from disaster, disease, and conflict. However, for communities to be more resilient, they need to become better prepared and resourced to withstand future threats. That's why we also work on disaster risk reduction, disaster preparedness, and climate change adaptation with communities. We also train health staff and communities, and hire staff locally to strengthen their capacity to respond to emergencies. For example, in places prone to climate disasters like Madagascar, we developed an early warning system to help communities prepare for incoming cyclones and local staff and communities to maintain water systems and ensure the availability of clean water in the long term.

Medair is certified to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS), verified by an independent third-party auditor (HQAI). Medair is also a signatory to the Red Cross Code of Conduct for NGOs in Disaster Relief, a member of the Sphere Project, and a signatory to the Climate Charter.

We are transparent about our finances and committed to using them wisely – 88.9% of our funding goes directly to delivering humanitarian assistance and 11.1% to supporting management and fundraising efforts. We are certified to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS), which underlines our programme excellence and commitment to giving communities the lead role in finding local solutions. And we are deeply committed to upholding and being accountable for our codes of ethics and protection policies.

Medair operates community-based feedback and accountability mechanisms in all its country programmes, allowing affected people to raise concerns, complaints, or suggestions. Beneficiary voices are integrated into programme design and review processes in line with the CHS commitments.

Medair's mandate is to provide humanitarian assistance to all people impacted by emergencies and crises, regardless of race, religion, creed, or nationality. All targeting decisions are based solely on humanitarian need as identified through independent needs assessments.

Medair's annual reports, audited financial statements, and programme evaluations are publicly available on its website medair.org. Transparency in financial reporting is a core commitment, and Medair welcomes scrutiny from donors, partners, and the public.

Medair is certified to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS) and conducts regular monitoring and evaluation of all funded programmes. Partners receive detailed reports on how funds were used and what outcomes were achieved, in line with donor agreements.