The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

History & Background Information

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is an Intergovernmental Organization (INGO) that was founded in 1991. In fact, the OCHA was formed during a General Assembly in which  resolution 46/182 was adopted as a way for the United Nations (UN) to respond to complex emergencies and natural disasters, as well as improving the implementation and delivery of humanitarian aid across the globe. In addition, this resolution created the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) position. The responsibilities of the ERC include “oversight of all emergencies requiring United Nations humanitarian assistance,” serving as a focal point for governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental relief activities, as well as the leading the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), an “inter-agency forum” that handles coordination, policy development, and decision-making between the United Nations and non-United Nations humanitarian partners. OCHA formerly called the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA). In 1998, the DHA became the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), whose mandate included: “the coordination of humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy.”

Currently, OCHA functions primarily through the IASC, chaired by the ERC. The IASC works to ensure collaboration between different organizations with regards to decision-making in times of emergencies and other crises. The IASC tackles issues involving need assessment, consolidated appeals, field coordination, and humanitarian development policy. Other organizations involve humanitarian partners from the UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations including:  UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, FAO, WHO, UN-HABITAT, OCHA, IOM. The list of Standing Invitees include: ICRC, IFRC, OHCHR, UNFPA, the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs, the World Bank, and the NGO’s CVA, InterAction, and SCHR. OCHA’s current Mission Statement  states “Our mission is to coordinate the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. We advocate for effective and principled humanitarian action by all, for all.”

Size & Scope

The headquarters for the OCHA are located in two locations: New York, USA and Geneva, Switzerland. Additionally, the organization has five regional offices located in Latin America and the Caribbean (Panamá, Panama), the Middle East and Africa, Southern and Eastern Africa (Nairobi, Kenya), West and Central Africa (Dakar, Senegal), and Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok, Thailand). Furthermore the OCHA is comprised of thirty country offices across the globe (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Libya, Palestine, Yemen, the Pacific Islands, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Colombia, Haiti, and Ukraine), and nineteen humanitarian adviser teams (Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Peru, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela). As of 2017, the organization reported 1,962 staff members or aid workers, spread across the globe.

Funding

The OCHA receives a meager five percent of the UN’s Budget. As a result, the OCHA relies on and receives several sources of funding from a variety of different donors. In fact, the the OCHA receives funds and assistance from the OCHA Donor Support Group (ODSG), a group of donors who provide policy advice, management, and handle budgetary and financial issues. The ODSG is comprised of 29 different members including: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and the European Commission. In addition, the OCHA receives funds labeled “Specially Designated Contributions” (SDCs). SDCs, contributed by OCHA in the form of grants, allow donors to choose which humanitarian projects to contribute to including those represented by third parties (UN partners or NGOs). Examples of SDCs include Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) and United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Mission Accounts.

Allocations

In 2018, OCHA’s Budget was approximately $240.8 million. The Budget is allocated to different regions, experiencing different crises. The budget is divided into specific categories. An example comes from the Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF): 1st Standard Allocation 2019. The total budget of $36,965,000 was divided into categories which include: Protection Monitoring and Community-Based Activities ($1,400,000), Provision of Legal Assistance ($1,600,000), GBV Case Management Services ($950,000), Psychosocial Support for GBV Survivors & Community Engagement ($650,000), Case Management Services ($1,400,000), Child Protection Integration in Education ($600,000), Survey and Clearance of EH & EH Risk Education, PHC Services & Medicine ($2,900,000), Reproductive Health Services ($1,200,000), Nutrition Services ($500,000), Hygiene Services ($5,000,000), Damaged Agriculture ($2,000,000), Food Security ($2,000,000), Replacement of Shelter ($2,640,000), Flood Risk Mitigation ($300,000), Camp Coordination & Management ($2,000,000), Educational Support ($200,000), Teacher Payment ($600,000), Educational Materials ($800,000), Emergency Livelihoods ($2,500,000), Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance ($3,225,000), and Technology & Equipment ($2,000,000).

Branding & Website

In terms of branding efforts, OCHA logo resembles that of the UN. The OCHA’s website contains seven different tabs: About Us, Our Work, Where We Work, Themes, Events, Media, Center, and Donate. The Themes tab provides information on topics ranging from El Niño to Environmental Emergencies, Gender Equality Programing, Saving Lives Together (SLT), Humanitarian Development Nexus, and Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. The Events page that includes content on upcoming events including the Humanitarian Policy Forum and World Humanitarian Day. Finally, the Media Centre includes speeches from the Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, as well as press releases, infographics, reports, news, interactive maps, and photos.

External Critiques

OCHA is not immune from critique. In fact, in the past few years they have been under fire for funding issues, altering and omitting crucial information in the U.N. Humanitarian Response Plan to paint the Syrian Government in a better light, as well as Aid Worker deaths.

Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

OCHA takes Gender Based Violence quite seriously. In fact, they have devoted a page regarding the issue on their website. To summarize, the page states that “OCHA is responsible for ensuring that SGBV prevention and response are prioritized as immediate life-saving priorities across all sectors and clusters.” In addition, they define the term, examine when and why it occurs, and discuss the challenges with GBV, especially as it relates to conflict-related sexual violence.  

Works Cited

• “OCHA.” OCHA, https://www.unocha.org/node. Accessed 10 Mar. 2019.
• “Aid Worker Deaths: The Numbers Tell the Story.” OCHA, 19 Aug. 2018, https://www.unocha.org/story/aid-worker-deaths-numbers-tell-story.
• Gutman, Roy. “How the U.N. Let Assad Edit the Truth of Syria’s War.” Foreign Policy, https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/01/27/syria-madaya-starvation-united-nations-humanitarian-response-plan-assad-edited/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2019.
• OHCA Strategic Plan 2018-2021. https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/OCHA%202018-21%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf. Accessed 10 Mar. 2019.