Myanmar Humanitarian Fund

The Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF), which was established in 2007, is a rapid and flexible funding mechanism supporting national and international NGOs and UN agencies to deliver lifesaving aid in the most insecure and least accessible parts of Myanmar. Under the leadership of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), the MHF supports the timely allocation and disbursement of donor resources using its tried-and-tested area-based approach, which ensures that geographical and needs prioritization are driven by local communities and frontline responders in line with the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.   

In November 2023, the conflict in Myanmar entered a dangerous new chapter with fighting erupting across large swathes of the country, well beyond the levels expected for 2024, accelerating an already rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis characterized by escalating armed clashes, massive displacement, grave human rights violations and significant protection risks for civilians. In 2024, around a third of the population or 18.6 million people need humanitarian assistance, up from 1 million people at the start of 2021 before the military takeover.   

The Fund is operationally managed by OCHA’s Humanitarian Financing Unit based in Yangon, which works closely with stakeholders at the sub-national level to ensure allocation processes and monitoring close to partners and projects on the ground. In leading the Fund, the HC is supported by the Humanitarian Country Team and the MHF Advisory Board. The Board includes representatives of donors, national and international NGOs and UN agencies to ensure decisions reflect views from across the humanitarian community. In 2024, the Advisory Board includes two local women-led organizations and a local organization for persons with disabilities, providing diverse local perspectives and leadership in MHF governance and processes.  

Like all Country-Based Pooled Funds, the MHF is designed to complement other humanitarian funding sources, such as the Central Emergency Response Fund and other in-country pooled funds.