Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund

Established in 2006, the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF) is a rapid and flexible funding mechanism supporting primarily national and international non-governmental organizations to respond to the most critical emergencies, including in the hardest-to-reach parts of the country.

Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) for Ethiopia, the EHF enables the timely and principled allocation and disbursement of donor resources to address the most urgent humanitarian priorities set by the Humanitarian Country Team. The Fund plays a catalytic role in advancing the localization of humanitarian response – aligned with the Humanitarian Reset – while promoting gender-transformative programming and exploring anticipatory financing to mitigate the impacts of climate hazards.

Ethiopia continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, driven by the convergence of climate shocks, conflict, disease outbreaks, and economic instability, resulting in immense suffering and loss of life. As of early 2025, nearly 10 million people are targeted for urgent humanitarian assistance.

The HC is supported by the Humanitarian Country Team and the EHF Advisory Board, which includes representatives from donor agencies, national and international NGOs, and UN organizations. This inclusive structure ensures that the Fund is used strategically and that decisions reflect the perspectives of the broader humanitarian community.

The Fund is operationally managed by OCHA’s Humanitarian Financing Unit, based in Addis Ababa, which ensures that decisions are grounded in field realities and that partners and projects are closely monitored. 

As with all country-based pooled funds, the EHF complements other humanitarian financing sources, including bilateral funding and the Central Emergency Response Fund.