Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean Annual Report 2024

LETTER FROM HEAD OF THE REGIONAL OFFICE

It is with great pleasure that I present the first Annual Report of the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean. Established in 2024, this Fund represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts to enhance the effectiveness, timeliness, and localization of humanitarian response in one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, with some long-term complex crisis.

The creation of the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund was driven by the growing humanitarian needs in Latin America and the Caribbean, where millions face increasing vulnerabilities associated with climate change, displacement, conflict and insecurity, and socio-economic instability. With more than 27 million people in need of humanitarian and protection assistance and escalating challenges exacerbating their plight, the need for a flexible, rapid, and locally-driven funding mechanism has never been more urgent.

From its inception, the Fund has prioritized local and national NGOs—those at the frontline of crisis response—ensuring that funding reaches communities swiftly and effectively. This first year of operations has already demonstrated the Fund’s potential, with $7 million allocated through three funding rounds, two in Colombia and one in Haiti. These funds will support critical lifesaving interventions and reinforce the role of local responders, who have also been engaged in the governance of the Fund through the Advisory Boards and Review Committees.

The establishment of this Fund was made possible thanks to the generous contributions and trust of our donors, who recognize the necessity of a responsive and inclusive financing mechanism for humanitarian action. Your commitment has enabled us to improve access to funding, strengthen local capacity, and foster more sustainable, community-led responses. As we look ahead, we remain committed to expanding the Fund’s reach, adapting to emerging needs, and ensuring that humanitarian assistance remains as local as possible and as international as necessary.

We are aware that the global humanitarian system faces an unprecedented resource crisis, with increasing demands outpacing available funding. Despite these constraints, it is essential that we continue to support vulnerable populations in Latin America and the Caribbean, where crises are deepening and multiplying. Furthermore, we need to put our words into action and increase direct support to local partners to ensure they not only survive this challenging period but thrive in a larger leadership and implementing role. We urge our donors and partners to maintain and expand their contributions to this Fund, ensuring that we can respond to growing needs, strengthen local resilience, and uphold the humanitarian principles that guide our collective efforts.

I extend my deepest gratitude to all our partners— donors, implementing organizations, and local communities—who have played a crucial role in making this Fund a reality. Together, we are building a more effective and accountable humanitarian system, one that truly puts communities at the center of our response.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.

Sincerely,

Shelley Cheatham

Head of Office, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean