Review of OCHA Emergency Response Funds (ERFs)
This report presents overall findings from a review of OCHA-managed Emergency Response Funds (ERFs) in five countries (Angola, the DRC, Indonesia, Liberia and Somalia) with additional input from a separate review in Ethiopia. The purpose of the review was to:
- Build a central body of knowledge on ERFs within OCHA;
- Examine the role of ERFs in humanitarian response and in relation to other funding mechanisms;
- Provide guidance on how an optimal ERF can function.
An ERF is usually set up with contributions from more than one government donor. ERFs aim to provide rapid and flexible funding to in-country actors (mainly NGOs) to address unforeseen humanitarian needs. They have been used since 1997. In some countries, OCHA offices have developed additional funds with different names for specific purposes, which has sometimes led to confusion about the remit of individual funds. Data from all ERF-type funds in the six countries have been included in this report. At the time of the review, the funds had financed 538 projects, disbursing US$64.49 million.
