Verify needs and recipients before offering help
Good intentions work best alongside real needs, privacy and safety.
Before offering goods, money or time, verify that the need still exists, who is responsible for receiving help and how it can be delivered safely. Registration, volunteering and fundraising rules vary by place. ICRC principles emphasize assistance based on need; UNHCR advises checking aid information through official channels and guarding against scams that use urgent stories to solicit money or personal data. Requirements depend on the organization and location; one organization’s practice is not a universal rule.
Verify through the organization’s official channel
Check accounts and needs through a website controlled by the organization, a verified local office or the responsible authority. Do not decide to transfer money based only on a social-media logo, urgent countdown or payment screenshot. Pause and verify through another channel if someone demands an advance payment, password or full identity document to release supposed aid.
Meet the need while respecting the people affected
Ask about quantities, specifications, receiving times and storage. Unrequested clothes, food or other supplies may be unusable and add sorting and transport burdens. Ask before photographing, publishing stories or sharing location information. Take particular care with children’s images, medical details, identity records and homes.
Volunteer through an accountable arrangement
At a disaster site, first contact the local authority or an organization with a clear role. Ask about registration, insurance, training, permitted tasks and how to end a shift. Do not enter hazardous areas alone, take on clinical cases or promise transport. Do not perform hazardous or medical work without appropriate qualifications; follow the designated coordinator’s instructions.
Supply links connect this subject to BEIIU categories. They are commercial references, not endorsements by the organizations cited below.
Questions to prepare for
- Verify the organization, official channels and current needs list.
- Do not publish recipients’ identity documents, health information or identifying precise locations.
- Check registration, role boundaries and safety instructions before volunteering.
Public references
Preparation notes based on public resources. No independent clinical or technical expert review is claimed. Follow current local guidance.
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