About us

For over 70 years, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has been helping people in need. We are the humanitarian aid agency of the Protestant Regional and Free Churches in Germany. Our headquarters are in Berlin.

Organisation

More than 130 employees work at Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. The president is Rev. Dr Dagmar Pruin, the Director is Martin Kessler.

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person avatar Martin Kessler

Martin Kessler

Director of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

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person avatar Dagmar Pruin

Dr. Dagmar Pruin

President of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

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Our history - Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Natural disasters, war and displacement – for more than 70 years, we have been supporting people in need across the world.

Transparency and finances

Total income in the year 2022 amounted to 134.8 million euros. 97.4 million euros came from donations.

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Our principles

  1. The humanitarian mandate has priority.
  2. Humanitarian aid is provided irrespective of the skin colour, religious affiliation or nationality of the recipient and with no exclusion whatsoever.
  3. Humanitarian aid is not used to promote any specific political or religious standpoint.
  4. We ensure that we are not instrumentalised for the foreign policy of governments.
  5. We respect culture and customs.
  6. We attempt to build disaster response on local capacities.
  7. We ensure the participation of programme beneficiaries in the implementation of support measures.
  8. Our emergency relief seeks to reduce future disaster vulnerability and fulfil basic needs.
  9. We are equally accountable to the beneficiaries of our assistance and to the providers of our relief resources.
  10. In our information, public relations and advertising activities, we depict disaster victims as partners with human dignity and not as objects of sympathy.

Networks and partnerships

In war, crisis and disaster areas, the support of experienced, local aid organisations is the best way to implement effective, accepted measures that are specifically adapted to the local context. This simultaneously stimulates local people’s sense of self-responsibility and self-initiative. Only in specific circumstances is Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe present on the ground with its own staff.

Our partners and supporters

Compliance and integrity

Ensuring compliance is a strategic priority of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. To fulfil our responsibility towards marginalised people throughout the world, our work is based on strict ethical standards. A working culture that is deeply rooted in compliance is indispensable for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe.

Ethical standards of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe

Quality assurance

Quality, impact and evaluation are crucial in humanitarian aid.
That is why we comply with internationally recognised standards.

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Our strategy

Our Strategy 2021+ covers the period up to 2025. Based on the analysis of current trends and developments in the humanitarian sector, as well as our own experiences, we have developed a five-year strategy to address identified upcoming challenges and further develop the organisation and our humanitarian assistance accordingly.

Download Strategy 2021+

Documents to be downloaded

Contact

We are looking forward to your message

Contact us

+49 (0)30 65211-0

You can reach us
Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
Evangelisches Werk für Diakonie und Entwicklung e.V.
Caroline-Michaelis-Str. 1
10115 Berlin

How to find us