Humanitarianism refers to an action, a set of ideals, a profession, or a movement that is guided by compassion and is informed by an ethics of care. The goals of humanitarianism are to improve lives by alleviating suffering and saving lives in times of crises or emergencies. It is characterized by the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. Humanitarians and humanitarian organizations are typically characterized as “doing good,” but as an ideology it is fraught with ambiguity and contradictions. Anthropology seeks to understand how humanitarian organizations work in the world, and, in doing so, poses many critiques. These critiques are not meant to undermine humanitarian work but to view it through an ethnographic lens.