About Us

Hilfswerk International (HWI) is one of Austria’s leading non-profit, non-party and cross-denominational organizations with its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. It provides both long-term international development assistance as well as humanitarian aid for victims of conflicts and environmental disasters. Its particular strategic focus is on long-term capacity development of the most vulnerable population sectors, i.e. women, children and ethnic minorities, in terms of organizational and institutional development.

Hilfswerk International has been implementing emergency relief projects, humanitarian aid and sustainable development projects in Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, South and South East Asia and South-Eastern Europe since 1978. It finances its worldwide projects through national and international project funds for development cooperation and emergency relief, as well as private donations, corporate social responsibility and sponsoring.

We strive for structural poverty alleviation in its programmes and projects which are implemented in close cooperation with local Hilfswerk International mission offices and local civil society organisations. Our mission is to combat poverty and hardship in developing countries through the promotion of economic and social development intended to lead to a process of sustained economic management and growth, linked to structural and social change.

In terms of humanitarian aid the purpose of the organization is to provide immediate relief in emergencies and countries of transition, focusing on health and social care, especially after natural catastrophes, in war- and famine-stricken regions, and in regions affected by sustained major economic depression.

With projects all over the world, we have gained extensive experience in supporting people with various cultural, social and political backgrounds on national and regional levels.