Humanitarian organisations have an interest in improving the sustainability of buildings that support the assistance provided to people affected by conflict and disaster. Yet, usual means of assessing building sustainability - e.g., labels such as LEED and BREEAM - are not suited to the priorities and contexts of humanitarian action. This paper describes research seeking to identify building sustainability criteria that are relevant and feasible in relation to building in the context of humanitarian programs. A comprehensive master list of building sustainability criteria is developed and presented in a novel graphic format that supports comparison and analysis. Then, consultations with humanitarian construction practitioners support development of a ranked short list of criteria that are particularly relevant to the priorities and contexts of humanitarian assistance. The research is the first stage of a project developing an analytic framework and digital tool to support building sustainability assessment in the context of humanitarian action.