Somalia Humanitarian Fund

The Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) is a multi-donor country-based pooled mechanism created in 2010 to allocate funding for the most urgent life-saving interventions in Somalia. With the SHF, governments and private donors can channel their contributions into a common, unearmarked fund to deliver life-saving assistance to people who need it most. 

The Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) oversees the fund and its allocations. The Fund supports the highest-priority projects of the best-placed responders—mainly international and national NGOs and some UN agencies—through an inclusive and transparent process that meets priorities set out in the Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). This ensures that funding is available and prioritized locally. 

Since 2010, SHF has received over $758 million from 26 donor countries and private donors. SHF is trusted by donors due to its effectiveness, coordinated approach, and established accountability systems. In 2023, SHF received $71 million, which accounted for 6 percent of the total funding received for the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). 

The Fund supports the delivery of an agile response in a fluid and rapidly changing environment, allowing operational partners to act quickly knowing that resources are available immediately for the most urgent life-saving activities.  

The Fund minimizes transaction costs and provides transparency, accountability, and robust risk management. Recipient organizations are thoroughly assessed, and projects are monitored with regular reporting on achievement and impact. It ensures the most strategic, effective, and efficient use of limited resources in a difficult and rapidly changing context.