The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ (OCHA) role is to bring together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. The core function of the organization is to mobilize and coordinate effective humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors; advocate the rights of people in need; promote preparedness and prevention and facilitate sustainable solutions.  

OCHA has two main humanitarian pooled funding mechanisms: Central Emergency Response Fund and Country-Based Pool Funds. OCHA also has provided funds to UNICEF through a third funding mechanism Emergency Cash Grant (ECG), addressing life-saving and life-sustaining support to victims of natural disaster situations.

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance whenever and wherever crises strike. 

CERF’s Rapid Response window allows country teams to kick-start relief efforts immediately in a coordinated and prioritized response when a new crisis emerges. CERF also provides funding for OCHA-facilitated anticipatory action pilots. CERF funding for anticipatory action complements the fund’s core funding functions under the Rapid Response (RR) and Underfunded Emergencies (UFE) windows. It is currently restricted to the OCHA-led pilot initiatives, meaning that requests for funding outside of these initiatives are not possible. CERF’s window for Underfunded Emergencies helps scale-up and sustain protracted relief operations to avoid critical gaps when no other funding is available.  

In 2023, UNICEF received a total of US$153.01 million for 39 countries from the Central Emergency Response Fund, second-highest amount among all recipients. Humanitarian responses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic together accounted for 27 per cent of CERF allocations to UNICEF. Thirty per cent of CERF allocations were for climate-related emergencies (floods, drought, cyclones). CERF Rapid Response (RR) allocations were pivotal and were the first public sector funding received to kick start the humanitarian response to the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and among the first for the Syrian Arab Republic. For UNICEF responses in the State of Palestine and in the Sudan, CERF RR funding was the first funding received. CERF underfunded emergency allocations were instrumental in promoting funding equity across emergencies and sectors; these allocations included 10 of the emergencies identified by UNICEF as needing more attention and support during the year. Overall, CERF funding helped UNICEF deliver a principled humanitarian response, with a focus on such cross-cutting areas as gender equity (e.g., in Bangladesh, Mozambique and Myanmar) and inclusive programming to ensure a focus on girls and children with disabilities in its humanitarian responses (e.g., in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Myanmar and the Pacific Islands).

In 2023, UNICEF signed five Anticipatory Action frameworks for the Philippines, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Fiji. The previously signed anticipatory action framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo for cholera response has been activated twice. 

Country-Based Pool Funds (CBPF) contributions are collected into single, unearmarked funds. The funds support the highest-priority projects of the best-placed responders, including international and national NGOs and UN agencies, through an inclusive and transparent process that supports priorities set out in Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs). CBPF are established when a new emergency occurs or when an existing crisis deteriorates. They are managed by OCHA under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator and in close consultation with the humanitarian community.  

Allocations of country-based pooled funds to UNICEF amounted to US$27.8 million to eight countries. Contributions received reached US$34.5 million from the CBPF managed by OCHA and CBPFs managed by the UNMPTFO.

Active CBPFs are in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nigeria, Palestine, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria (including for Cross-border), Ukraine, and Yemen.
 

2023 contributions to UNICEF  

US$155.2 million through CERF
US$ 26.9 million through CBPF47
US$0.2million through Bilateral agreements

Total: US$182 million

Contributions received from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs include $155.2 million related to the Central Emergency Response Fund

$26.9 million related to humanitarian Country-based Pooled Funds, and $0.2 million related to bilateral agreements