The activities of the YHF are carried out under the overall strategic and operational direction of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC), with support from an Advisory Board (AB) and an OCHA-led Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU). The Advisory Board is comprised of members of the humanitarian community including NGOs, UN agencies and donors, who support the HC in policy and strategy-setting for the HPF. Cluster leads and cluster members at the national and regional level feed into the identification process of priority needs and target sectors, geographical areas, and activities.

The YHF operates within the framework provided by the OCHA Operational Handbook for Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs), which describe the set of rules that apply to all CBPFs worldwide. The Operational Manual for Yemen issued by the HC further describes the governance arrangements, objectives, allocation modalities and accountability mechanisms of the HPF, as well as details the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved.