ERF update - 31 July 2011

The Emergency Response Fund (ERF) for Yemen was established as a pooled fund in the second half of 2010. The ERF priority in Yemen is to enable a rapid and flexible first response to emergencies before mainstream funding can be utilized. In order to ensure there is capacity to respond to new arising crises, donors continue to generously replenish the fund.

The overall aim of the ERF for Yemen is to improve the timeliness and appropriateness of humanitarian response through the provision of a flexible resource that can be drawn on quickly. The emphasis of the ERF is to support rapid response projects seeking to contribute to sustaining lives and prevention of further erosion of livelihood assets through supporting positive coping mechanism of communities. The fund is also available to strategically fill gaps (geographic or sectoral) within an overall emergency response plan.

The ERF has proven to be a flexible and effective tool to respond to the latest crisis in Yemen particularly in the South. Ten projects were submitted for funding to address needs across the country with a focus on Southern Yemen of which eight were approved. Four of the approved projects have received funding whereas the remaining four are currently in the last phase of finalization.