Although activities to provide relief assistance and protect human rights now more clearly affirm a common commitment to human dignity, agreement has yet to be reached regarding how such activity at its most inclusive should be labelled. Some analysts, including the Humanitarianism and War Project, have defined 'humanitarian action' as encompassing both assistance and protection activities.
Political powers today are often reluctant, or simply unable, to devise political solutions for the conflicts tearing the world apart. Pure humanitarian action is too often used as a cosmetic justification for political inertia and apathy. Humanitarian operations are often launched to quell public opinion, which reacts to images of war presented by the media. Humanitarian action conceals the fact that governments are unwilling to take the risks involved in addressing the root causes of conflict. However, humanitarian action is no substitute for political settlements.