Funding for Other Resources (emergency)

Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing life-saving help and hope to children and their families. Other Resources (emergency) are funds earmarked for specific emergency response needs and projections.

With support from partners, we mobilize resources to protect children, even in the hardest-to-reach places. In 2018, Other Resources (emergency) revenue¹ to UNICEF amounted to US$1.93 billion, with 92 per cent coming from public-sector partners.

Learn how our partners are helping us respond to COVID-19

Sources of humanitarian funding include UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Multi-Partner Trust Funds.

UNICEF’s humanitarian response

In 2018, UNICEF and partners responded to 285 humanitarian emergencies in 90 countries.

In 2018, we focused on strengthening our response to mass population displacements and protracted crises, and on increasing the coverage and quality of humanitarian assistance. Some of the major humanitarian crises that UNICEF responded to that year occurred in:

• East Asia: Nearly 1.8 million children in Indonesia and over 37,000 children in Papua New Guinea received measles and rubella vaccinations following the 2018 earthquakes.
• Yemen: In response to the cholera outbreak, nearly 5 million people (83 per cent of the 6 million targeted) gained access to safe drinking water, and nearly 732,000 people in high-risk or priority areas received cholera vaccinations.
• The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Nearly 10 million people received Ebola prevention messages, including through community engagement, interpersonal communications, radio programming and door-to-door outreach.

In 2020, UNICEF is appealing for US$4.2 billion in emergency assistance for 59 million children affected by conflict or disaster in 64 countries. Protecting children from threats to their lives, well-being and dignity will require ongoing improvements in programme efficacy, increased humanitarian resources, and continuous innovation in programming and advocacy.

¹Revenue: The UNICEF policy for recognizing revenue from voluntary contributions was revised effective 2017. Under the previous policy, UNICEF recognized revenue based on payment plan due dates included in the resource partner agreements. Under the new policy, revenue is recognized in full, including for multi-year contributions, at the time the agreement is signed with the partner.

²These 2018 rankings are by contributions received – cash and contributions in kind received from resource partners within a calendar year.  

³Contributions received from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs include $132.1 million related to the Central Emergency Response Fund and $186.2 million related to Country-Based Pooled Funds, including $151.5 million from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.