From humanitarian to development aid. A case study of the activities of the Aid to the Church in Need Pontifical Foundation.

The description of the mission and activities of the international NGO organization Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) should be seen as an example of humanitarian, pastoral and development aid. The presented data gives a picture of the needs, but also shows that behind each of the projects there are specific stories of disadvantaged people. Reflecting on the activities and specific projects of the ACN Foundation allows us to conclude that one organization, even with an international reach, is not able to solve all the world’s problems, but it can certainly show the world a picture of needs in many of its regions. The study is part of the research into the areas of humanitarian aid, religious problems in the world, the impact of the papal aid organization on the development of social and religious life, volunteering and the integral development of local communities. The source data used in this text is the Foundation’s internal 2019 data. Two selected countries, Lebanon and South Sudan are representative countries supported by ACN. The selected aid projects illustrate the scale of the aid and can be used to draw a picture of the needs. This example of ACN activities contributes to further research into the state of aid, the identification of aid needs and aid effectiveness in different regions of the world. The presented data may also inspire even greater solidarity between nations in mutual aid and may inspire other aid organizations to increase their involvement in aid in the indicated regions.