After analysing the results of the Portuguese humanitarian response to the tsunami of 26 December 2004, the platform of Portuguese NGOs created GAHE (" Grupo de Ajuda Humanitária de Emergência "), which brings together Portuguese NGOs who work in emergency humanitarian situations.
Humanitarian aid is only a minor part of Portuguese international cooperation and is not considered a priority by the majority of cooperation actors. Portugal is rarely involved in this type of response to crisis situations, with a few exceptions due to intense media coverage. In general, Portuguese humanitarian action is characterised by a lack of means, procedures and experience. This inevitably affects coordination between actors and the level and quality of the humanitarian response.
GAHE contacted Groupe URD in order to improve knowledge of work methods and tools, and improve the quality and capacity of Portuguese humanitarian action.
There are several parts to the project :
- An analysis of the types of Portuguese organisations involved in emergency relief operations, their tools and methods, and any problems encountered in their use;
- A training course based on this analysis ;
- The creation of a mixed (private and public) emergency fund.
The project began in early September and will end in January 2008.

A Groupe URD expert has been in Lisbon since September carrying out an initial analysis of Portuguese NGOs, their problems, needs, motivation and aptitudes, and conducting research into the attitudes of civil society and government towards humanitarian NGOs.