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Afghanistan Common Humanitarian Fund: Funding Update June 2014

Countries
Afghanistan
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

Humanitarian Context

The Afghanistan CHF aims to promote a coordinated response to those most in need, as well as improve the relevance and coherence of the humanitarian response by strategically funding assessed humanitarian action as identified in the CHAP 2014.

Within the framework set by the CHAP, the CHF First Allocation Strategy focused on the essential life-saving elements of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan: that is, to protect human life where this threatened on a wide scale; or in other words, to reduce large-scale excess mortality. Two funding envelopes were therefore made available focusing on emergency health and nutrition.

Contributions to the CHF Since its inception early 2014, the CHF has already received pledges of US$34.8 million from 5 donor countries, as well as funds carried over from a previously closed funding mechanism for Afghanistan. This includes a recent pledge from the Republic of Korea of US$1 million.

The top three donors to the CHF are presently the UK, Sweden and Norway, with US$21.5 million already received out of US$32.3 million pledged.

Allocation of Funds

Following the launch of the First Allocation Strategy, the CHF received 27 project proposals for review. The Strategic and Technical Review Committees proceededto recommend 16 projects for funding from NGOs and UN agencies, amounting to US$19.2 million.

Overall 53% of the project funding was allocated to the UN agencies and 47% to NGOs, with the following breakdown:

  • 8 projects under the nutrition sector, amounting to US$8.7 million, targeting 751,345 people also including improved information management and assessment work. Recipient organisations: ACF,
    ACTD, HNI-TPO, MEDAIR, PU-AMI, SCI, IMC-UK and UNICEF.
  • 7 projects under the health sector, amounting to US$9 million, targeting 396,939 people. Recipient organisations: EMERGENCY, ACTD, HNI-TPO, SCI, IMC-UK, UNFPA and WHO
  • 1 project funded as a direct cost project, amounting to US$1.5 million to cover the costs of the CHF Humanitarian Financing Unit (UNOCHA)

With urgent unmet humanitarian needs in the country and the CHAP 2014 so far only 41% funded, pending receipt of pledged funding, the CHF expects to launch a Second Allocation Strategy in August 2014.

Priorities Going Forward

The CHF management's priorities going forward will be to ensure a robust system of management, transparency and accountability is rolled out at the country level. This will include:

  • Finalisation of the Accountability Framework for the CHF Afghanistan and applicable tools.
  • Development of a Monitoring and Reporting plan following the first funding allocation.
  • Launch of the CHF Afghanistan web-pages including information on governance, eligibility and resource materials.
  • Allow all interested NGOs to participate in the Due Diligence process and completion of the first phase of Capacity Assessments for NGOs.
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.