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The European Solidarity Corps for humanitarian aid

December 5 2024

Associations and non-profits, Young people over 18, European opportunities

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Volunteering within the European Solidarity Corps (Humantitarian Aid Volunteering) takes place in third countries where humanitarian aid operations are underway.
This action offers young people aged between 18 and 35 the opportunity to contribute with short or long-term voluntary activities that can take place either individually or in groups.
All projects must respect the principles of humanitarian aid.

Through the EU contribution, the following are financed:

  • individual volunteering activities, which last between 2 and 12 months and serve to support projects normally carried out by the host organization
  • group activities (volunteering teams), which last from 2 weeks to 2 months involving from 5 to 40 volunteers simultaneously. In this case, the volunteers' task is linked to a specific intervention whose duration is limited in time but which equally has an impact on the local community.

Compared to projects taking place in Europe, Humanitarian Aid projects have some specific purposes, indicated by the Guide:

  • where relevant, facilitate the transition from humanitarian response to long-term sustainable and inclusive development
  • help strengthen the capacities and resilience of vulnerable or disaster-affected communities
  • strengthen disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction
  • linking relief, rehabilitation and development
  • ensure a high level of safety for volunteers.

Alongside actual volunteering activities, it is possible to combine complementary activities that broaden and enhance their effectiveness.
Complementary activities also contribute to the development of the capacity of host organizations and their members, with a further positive impact on local communities.
Complementary activities could include meetings, coaching, conferences, job shadowing, training courses, practical workshops, etc.

How to organize humanitarian aid activities within the European Solidarity Corps (for organisations)

All organizations that want to organize Humanitarian Aid projects within the European Solidarity Corps must have a Valid quality mark (“ESC Quality Label”).

The Quality Label can be obtained either for the role of:

  • support, which is the only one that allows you to submit grant applications and manage projects. Support organizations are also responsible for the preparation and/or training of volunteers before departure, for contact between volunteers and host organizations and for support after the volunteers return to their country of residence;
  • welcome covering the whole range of activities related to hosting a volunteer, including the development of a program of activities, support during the different phases in the host country.

The Quality Label for volunteering in Humanitarian Aid is obtained at the end of an evaluation process carried out byEACEA Executive Agency.

The application can be submitted at any time of the year. The Agency carries out the evaluation of the applications received periodically, based on the calendar of calls for requests for contributions. The evaluation is based on the quality, experience and capacity criteria set by the Program Guide.
Once obtained, the Label is valid until the end of the duration of the Program.

How to participate in the humanitarian aid activities of the European Solidarity Corps (for volunteers)

Boys and girls who want to apply to take part in European Solidarity Corps projects, both in their own country and abroad, must first of all register in the European Youth Portal, in the part dedicated to the Programme.

Registration on the Portal is also mandatory for boys and girls who want to create a project Solidarity project in your local community. Once you have registered, you will be able to consult the project database, which includes both short-term and long-term ones.

Through the portal it will be possible to send your application, but it is important to also consult the offers published by the host organizations, because many often also have their own systems for collecting applications.

It is important to remember that each organization that welcomes volunteers has its own selection method (usually based on the CV, a letter of motivation and one or more online interviews). The selection must however always be impartial, non-discriminatory and inclusive of people with fewer opportunities. It is therefore essential that when you send your application you check the selection procedures and methods.

For Humanitarian Aid projects, as written, it is also mandatory to participate in an online and in-person training course.

To find out more, read the Help section specification for Humanitarian Aid projects (Italian)
To find out more, read the Help section Specification for Humanitarian Aid projects (English)

Back arrowReturn to the general Help page on “European Solidarity Corps” Program

This guide was created as part of the annual work plan of the European network IGNet, co-financed by the European Union. The content of this guide reflects the views only of the authors and neither the European Commission nor any of its agencies can be held responsible for its content or any use made of it. The content of this guide has no official value for the purposes of submitting applications and projects, for which only the official guides of the individual programmes and initiatives are valid.

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