Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) FAQ

A woman in the Kigaramango IDP camp, Burundi, uses a handwashing station provided by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
A woman in the Kigaramango IDP camp, Burundi, uses a handwashing station provided by the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This is part of ongoing efforts to support displaced people who have been living in the camp since the devastating floods in Gatumba in April 2020. Photo: OCHA/Camille Lemarquis

How does CERF allocate funds?

As the UN’s global emergency fund, CERF allocates funds to support a specific humanitarian mandate through two windows: 

  • Rapid Response: Supports timely response to new or deteriorating emergencies.
  • Underfunded Emergencies: Supports critically underfunded humanitarian operations in overlooked crises.

For all types of allocations, CERF provides recommendations to the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) based on the best available quantitative data, qualitative information, analysis, and in-country and partner consultations. The ERC makes the final decision on behalf of the UN Secretary-General. For more information, please see this CERF document.

How are projects and recipients identified for a CERF allocation?

An inclusive consultative process at the country level helps to identify the UN agencies and projects to be funded. These decisions are based on people’s urgent needs, as articulated by the UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) in a response strategy – developed in consultation with UN Country Teams/Humanitarian Country Teams and other humanitarian organizations under the leadership of RC/HCs. 

Who can become a member of the CERF Advisory Group?

The Advisory Group’s membership needs to broadly represent the humanitarian community. 

Members can be selected from a range of partners and stakeholders, including Member States and non-governmental organizations, for a single three-year term.  

The following aspects are also taken into consideration:

  • Demonstrated senior-level expertise and experience in responding to a range of humanitarian emergencies, and/or financial management.
  • Knowledge of the UN system and its humanitarian and development activities. 
  • Geographical and gender balance to ensure the Advisory Group can provide relevant political leadership.

Overview of the Advisory Group’s current members

How are the CERF Advisory Group members selected?

We extend an invitation to Member States to nominate senior officials for the Advisory Group from within and outside their Government.

When the nomination period ends, OCHA draws a list of names for the UN Secretary-General's consideration.

How are the CERF-funded projects monitored?

UN agencies are responsible for all aspects of the projects they implement, either directly or through implementing partners, including their monitoring, and are accountable to their oversight bodies.

Does CERF fund cash and voucher assistance?

In 2023, CERF supported the transfer of US$97.6 million in cash and voucher assistance to crisis-affected people, or 15 per cent of total funding (including $30.4 million in multipurpose cash) to 4 million crisis-affected people in 33 countries.

Does CERF fund responses to support people affected by extreme weather-related events caused by the climate crisis?

CERF is a long-standing mechanism for responding to people affected by disasters, including extreme weather-related events.

From 2006 to 2023, CERF directed more than a quarter – or $2.4 billion – of its funding towards responses to extreme weather-related events, such as droughts, floods, storms and heat or cold waves.  

Unlike most funds, CERF-funded projects help the most vulnerable people affected by climate shocks in complex emergencies. At the same time, CERF provides fast and timely action that prevents the loss of life and destruction of livelihoods and promotes resilience.

OCHA launched the CERF Climate Action Account at COP28 in 2023. The account offers donors a quick and efficient way to give CERF climate-relevant financing to support and incentivize life-saving actions that also reduce people’s exposure or vulnerability to future climate change shocks; to scale anticipatory action for predictable climate shocks; and to boost humanitarian responses to extreme weather-related events. 

How does CERF support anticipatory action?

CERF supports anticipatory action primarily through formal frameworks set up to get ahead of predictable crises in 15 countries. Each framework includes forecasts for a hazard, an action plan and automatic financing when the trigger is met.

The ERC selects countries and shocks for these frameworks in response to requests from RC/HCs. The ERC’s decisions are supported by OCHA’s Anticipatory Action Working Group and guided by a set of criteria.

If a trigger is reached, an automated allocation process is activated. CERF funds are then disbursed quickly against agreed projects in the action plan.

At the country level, the RC/HC leads the development of an anticipatory action framework, supported by OCHA and in partnership with the Humanitarian Country Team, the clusters or sectors, the Government and key technical partners. The ERC and RC/HC endorse the final framework.