Initiatives and reforms of international funding mechanisms have been near the top of the humanitarian community’s agenda for the last few years.

Efforts include a focus on:

•  providing flexible and timely funding
•  allocating funding in proportion to needs
•  reducing earmarking.

Upfront funding to meet urgent and strategic humanitarian needs and to support a coherent coordinated response to humanitarian crises was given a boost in 2006 with the expansion of the CERF.

By the end of 2006, the CERF had attracted 54 donors and represented a fund of US$299 million -- or 3% of the total official humanitarian assistance contributions that year. During 2007, 65 states and three corporations contributed over US$384 million to the CERF. View CERF donor pie chart 2007.

This ability to mobilise support from relatively new donors that might otherwise lack the appropriate means to administer emergency funds bilaterally is a key objective for the CERF.

The number of countries receiving CERF funds increased from 35 in 2006 to 55 in 2007. View pie chart showing CERF recipients 2007.

The CERF's contribution of just under US$5 million to the UN consolidated appeal for Central African Republic (CAR) equated to 20% of the country’s total appeal funding in 2006. CAR traditionally finds it difficult to mobilise resources but the CERF contribution meant that it fared much better, with its appeal 63% met compared to only 35% in 2005. This provides a good example of the CERF achieving one its core objectives – to strengthen core elements of humanitarian response in underfunded crises.

Back to top

CHFs, which provide unearmarked funds under the decision-making authority of the Humanitarian Coordinator, have also assisted coherent and coordinated responses to crises according to an independent evaulation carried out on the Sudan and DRC pilots in September 2007.

The review recommended that the CHF should continue as a funding mechanism in both countries – but that “considerable work” was needed in order for them to realise their potential and overcome “outstanding weaknesses.” While the original plan had been to roll out further CHFs from January 2008, this has been delayed until March in order to address the issues raised by the review and to develop an agreed, standardised model.

The full evaluation report is available as a PDF on the ReliefWeb site.

Back to top

ERFs offer NGOs and some UN agencies more rapid access to small grants in-country.

Download the Development Initiatives ERF review (January 2007) as a PDF.

Read what we wrote about ERFs in GHA 2006 as a PDF.

Back to top