Introduction 1.1. Purpose and scope of the Global Guidelines The purpose of these Global Guidelines is to ensure a coherent and harmonised approach to the governance and operations of Country-based...
About the Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Fund
Temporary Learning Centre in a flood-impacted region, in which children can continue to learn in Sindh Province, Sanghar district, Pakistan. Photo: OCHA/Christiane Buck
The Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Fund (AP HF) is one of OCHA’s newest Regional Humanitarian Funds. It is being established in 2024, with an initial Envelope for the Asia-Pacific region. The Fund is operationally managed from OCHA’s Regional Office based in Bangkok.
The Regional Humanitarian Fund provide a flexible and cost-effective way to expand pooled funding to more countries, with modalities that are scalable to needs on the ground. Funding is directed when and where most urgently needed for localized and sustainable humanitarian action in the region. With climate change leading to increasingly frequent and unpredictable natural disasters, it is important to have a modality that allows donors to contribute resources in an agile way to countries at the forefront of the global climate crisis. Like all CBPFs, the AP HF is designed to complement other humanitarian funding sources, such as bilateral funding and the Central Emergency Response Fund.
AP HF builds on the success of the CBPFs and mirror many of their practices. It operates in line with the CBPF global guidelines and is governed by the same protocols. As appropriate to the needs and disaster profile of the region and available funding, the Fund can include both Regional and Country Envelopes:
- Country Envelopes that enable donor contributions to be earmarked at country level for sustained response to significant and protracted needs. The RC/HC in consultation with an Advisory Board (consisting of national NGOs, international NGOs, UN agencies and donors) determines the use of resources based on established priorities. Country Envelopes can be opened and closed based on needs on the ground. They can also transition into CBPFs, should needs increase, or take over the functions of CBPFs which are phasing out.
- Regional Envelope* that enables donor contributions to be earmarked at the regional level for allotment to countries by decision of the ERC based on the request of RC/HCs (as is done for CERF). The strategic use and management of the envelope would be overseen by a Regional Steering Group. Once regional funds are allotted to the country level, they would be managed and overseen by the RC/HC or RC in country, in consultation with humanitarian stakeholders. Regional Envelopes do not preclude the establishment of Country Envelopes. Should a Country Envelope be established, the country would not be covered by the Regional Envelope.
* The Regional Envelope model is under development in 2024. More details and guidelines will be available shortly.