Global Humanitarian Overview 2024 Mid-year update

OCHA’s Pooled Funds have allocated a total of $556 million across 34 countries for life-saving assistance in humanitarian crises so far in 2024.

In the first half of 2024, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) provided $242 million to support lifesaving assistance in 28 countries facing critical humanitarian needs. This funding was strategically allocated, with $137 million provided through the Rapid Response Window for swift interventions, including $32 million for forward-looking allocations with an early action element, and $105 million allocated through the Underfunded Emergencies Window to address neglected crises. As part of this round, the Emergency Relief Coordinator also allocated an additional $4 million to support accountability to affected people (AAP) through a dedicated envelope, bringing dedicated funding for AAP since 2023 to $9 million. Notably, CERF played a crucial role in responding to some of the world's most severe ongoing emergencies, including $40 million in allocations to Sudan to address the humanitarian needs resulting from the unprecedented displacement and food security crisis linked to the ongoing conflict. These allocations aim to prevent further catastrophic deterioration at a critical time when the country is on the brink of famine. CERF also took early steps by allocating nearly $40 million in 2024 to nine countries to mitigate the humanitarian impact of El Niño, which was particularly strong in 2023-2024, and to enhance cost-effectiveness by focusing on early action where possible. This brings allocations linked to the 2023-2024 El Niño to almost $68 million. In total, CERF has granted $69 million in 2024 in response to climate-related emergencies, which is 28 per cent of all allocations this year. CERF continued to strengthen anticipatory action, with new frameworks endorsed for drought in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and the extension of an anticipatory action framework for drought in Burkina Faso. Additional frameworks are under development.

By mid-year, the country-based pooled funds (CBPF) have launched $314 million to support humanitarian response in 13 countries. Important allocations launched by CBPFs include $38 million from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund for early response to mitigate the deepening food crisis in tandem with $15 million of CERF funding. In support of the Flagship Initiative launched by the Emergency Relief Coordinator in 2023, the Niger envelope of the Regional Humanitarian Fund for West and Central Africa and the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund launched pilot allocations to enable local humanitarian actors to engage with communities to identify and choose solutions specific to local contexts. The CBPFs continue to strengthen localization efforts and, in 2024, 50 per cent of total funding has been directly or indirectly allocated to local and national partners. This is a significant increase from 2023 when local and national partners received 39 per cent of total funding. Building on the success of the Regional Humanitarian Fund in West and Central Africa, in 2024, OCHA established three new regional humanitarian funds in Southern and East Africa; Asia and the Pacific; and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Contribution trends to the Pooled Funds (2012 – 2024)

Given the level of humanitarian needs globally, additional funding is needed immediately to ensure that CBPFs and CERF have the resources required to reach the people in need and to secure operational continuity. As of mid-year, recorded funding is lower as compared to the same time last year for both funds, and income unpredictability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by pooled funds for sound planning and response capacity.