The Humanitarian Response Index offers an analytical tool for the measurement of donors' effectiveness in light of their commitment to the Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship. It is hoped that the Index will raise awareness about the increasingly important role of humanitarian action and associated good practices beyond its current core constituencies. The Index is also intended to help the international donor community, and individual donor countries, to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of humanitarian actions, and thus to provide a basis for improving the efficiency and quality of donor activities and initiatives. We believe that this report can serve as a useful platform for more informed discussion on key aspects of the debate on how to improve the quality of humanitarian aid. Ultimately, only the proper assessment of donor performance in the delivery of humanitarian aid will benefit those most affected by both man-made and natural disasters. Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA) is an independent non-profit organisation, committed to improving the quality of development aid and humanitarian action through evaluation. By presenting alternatives that combine the interests of all partners, DARA aims to enhance the impact of the efforts against poverty and promote the participation and empowerment of beneficiaries of humanitarian aid.