Regional office for

Latin America and the Caribbean

Magda and her three children are among the millions of habitants of Honduras’ Dry Corridor
Magda and her three children are among the millions of habitants of Honduras’ Dry Corridor. These residents do not have regular access to water and often make do with informal sources for consumption, cooking and sanitation, which elevates their vulnerability to El Niño’s potential impact. Photo: OCHA/Marc Belanger
Support our work

#Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

 

Latin America and the Caribbean is the world’s second most disaster-prone region. The persistent threat and cyclical impact of natural hazards run parallel to structural poverty and inequality, endemic violence, struggling economies and limited Government response capacities.

OCHA has had a presence in the region since 2003, and the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) has been based in Panama City, Republic of Panama, since 2005.

ROLAC works with country offices in the region to support and strengthen humanitarian coordination and response preparedness. It also coordinates the Regional Group on Risks, Emergencies and Disasters for Latin America and the Caribbean, a regional inter-institutional platform that supports emergency preparedness and response.

Regional coverage

A woman sits inside an informal tent holding a baby in her arms.
Country office

Haiti

Haiti is enduring a severe crisis with political, economic and humanitarian challenges. The President's assassination in July 2021 left the country without a leader, and the economy has suffered from four years of negative growth.

Learn more
A woman in an OCHA vest talks to a woman facing her. They are standing in a verandah of a house.
HAT

Honduras

Honduras faces growing vulnerabilities, including political and social conflicts, climate change, forced displacement and migration.

Learn more
Widespread flooding in north-western Peru in early 2023 affected hundreds of thousands of people, rendering more than 123,000 people homeless and creating serious response and recovery needs.
HAT

Peru

OCHA has been present in Peru since 2008, through the Humanitarian Advisory Team (HAT), which supports the work of the Resident Coordinator in their role of international humanitarian coordination.

Learn more

The Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean

The Latin America and the Caribbean Humanitarian Fund is one of OCHA’s newest Regional Humanitarian Pooled Funds. It was established in 2024, with initial Country Envelopes in Colombia and Haiti. The Fund is operationally managed by a Humanitarian Financing Unit based in Panama City. The Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund provides a flexible and cost-effective way to expand pooled funding to more countries, with modalities that are scalable to needs on the ground. 

 

Resources

Colombia

Assessment

Informe MIRA : Cúcuta, Ocaña y Tibú Norte de Santander, Colombia - Situación de emergencia por desplazamientos masivos y confinamientos

La subregión del Catatumbo, ubicada al norte del departamento de Norte de Santander, comprende once municipios: Ábrego, Convención, El Carmen, El Tarra, Hacarí, La Playa, Ocaña, San Calixto,...

Originally published
Sources
  • El Equipo Humanitario País Colombia
  • Grupo Interagencial sobre Flujos Migratorios Mixtos
  • R4V
  • 1 more
Read more

Colombia

Evaluation and Lessons Learned

Flagship Initiative Pilot in Colombia Update: October - December 2024

CONTEXT Colombia is one of the four countries selected for the Flagship Initiative. This pilot aims to transform the humanitarian action by placing affected populations at the center of efforts to...

Originally published
Source
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Read more

Ecuador

Infographic

Ecuador: Humanitarian Access - Esmeraldas Province (November 2024)

KEY MESSAGES 1. The province of Esmeraldas is experiencing widespread and pervasive violence marked by the constant movement of armed groups¹ into new areas of the region. This volatile environment...

Originally published
Source
  • UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Read more

Funding for OCHA Latin America and the Caribbean