Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) offers a people-centered and rights-based framework that is concerned with respecting the rights, dignity and safety of people affected by disaster and conflict. The women, men, girls and boys receiving humanitarian assistance are the primary stakeholders of any humanitarian response and have a basic right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives, receive the information they need to make informed decisions and to complain if they feel the help they receive is not adequate or has unwelcomed consequences. See also gFSC Animation video on AAP and people-centred cross-cutting dimensions or gFSC Key Messages: Gender & Age Sensitive Humanitarian Response contributes to AAP.

Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of affected women and men by anyone associated with the provision of aid, constitutes one of the most serious breaches of accountability. It is also a serious protection concern and erodes the confidence and trust of affected communities and the host country in all those providing assistance.

For further information see also

• IASC Task Team on AAP/PSEA
• PSEA Task Force
• Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)
• Sphere Minimum Standards