In the context of humanitarian aid, this refers to assistance that is ‘guided solely’ by the needs of individuals. 

In the context of humanitarian aid this has been defined by Joanna Macrae as the ‘endeavour not to act as instruments of government foreign policy’. 

Inequalities represent disparities in income, health, education, ownership of land, access to power and so on. Some inequalities are unavoidable: not all of us have the genetic make-up that will help us run the 100 metres as fast as Olympic sprinters. But many inequalities, such as those listed above, can be avoided. These avoidable inequalities are sometimes called inequities. 

Inequities are inequalities that can be avoided through directed human action, most notably the application of government policy.