Flexible funding: A Lifeline for Humanitarian Action

Core assistance enabled OCHA’s global workforce of nearly 2,600 staff to bring expertise in crisis response and preparedness, civil-military coordination, access negotiations and emergency fund management to deliver humanitarian assistance worldwide – across more than 60 countries in 2024.

Funding from our most generous donors allowed OCHA's global humanitarian response in 2024 to deliver timely aid across multiple crises worldwide, with a total of $280.8 million in support of OCHA's core programme. This included $134.5 million in unearmarked contributions, strengthening OCHA’s core programme and enabling flexible, rapid support where it was needed most.

Unearmarked contributions are extremely valuable because of how OCHA budgets and plans its work. Unlike most UN organisations, we budget based on projected income, assuming that 100% of planned activities will be implemented. This makes flexible funding essential to run the organisation smoothly, maintain uninterrupted services, and respond rapidly to crises. Such funding allows OCHA to apply resources where they are needed most, across multiple priorities within a budget cycle, creating a “multiplier effect” and enhancing our response in the most urgent and underserved contexts.

This brief overview highlights how flexible funding in 2024 – as reflected in the OCHA Annual Report of 2024 – contributed to OCHA’s capacity to deliver its mandate and save lives.