The Central Emergency Response Fund
People impacted by natural disasters and armed conflict need food, safe drinking water, medical supplies and other life-saving aid as soon as possible. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) exists to get rapid humanitarian relief to people quickly and efficiently. Grants are dispatched though two main funding windows:
- Rapid Response
- Underfunded Emergencies
The specific objectives of the CERF are to:
- Promote early action and response to reduce loss of life
- Enhance response to time-critical requirements based on demonstrative needs
- Strengthen the core elements of humanitarian response in under-funded crises
Funds available for rapid response
Response time is vital to saving lives. CERF funds can be approved within minutes and disbursed within 24-72 hours of a crises. Donor countries pay into the fund annually so it is ready and waiting to be deployed when the next emergency strikes.
Underfunded emergencies
The Fund also targets the world’s most neglected crises. When a disaster is in the headlines it is easier to raise money for critical humanitarian needs. However, as headlines fade, donations often fail to keep pace with need.
The Fund sends out grants to "forgotten emergencies" twice a year for crises that have not attracted sufficient funding of their own.
Past allocations have gone to meet humanitarian needs in Sudan, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, and Chad.
Who are the Fund’s donors?
The CERF is funded through voluntary contributions. Canada’s support place it 6th among all donors since the creation of the CERF in 2006. While the CERF receives the bulk of its funding from governments, it also garners wide-range support from foundations, companies, charities and individuals.
Who decides where the money is sent?
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) manages the CERF on behalf of the UN Secretary-General. CERF funds are distributed to humanitarian agencies on the ground. The CERF is also guided by a 19-member Advisory Group, that provides support and policy direction to the Secretary-General on the use and impact of the Fund.
Central Emergency Response Fund saves lives
Each year, on average, CERF grants have helped humanitarian partners to:
- deliver critical health care to 20 million people
- provide food assistance to 13 million people
- provide water and sanitation to 13 million people
- provide protection to 5 million people
- provide agriculture support to 5 million people
History of the fund
The CERF was established by the UN General Assembly in 2005 and launched in March 2006, to provide rapid and flexible humanitarian assistance to people affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts. Since 2006, the CERF has received more than $9 billion from over 130 UN Member States and observers, regional and local governments, private donors and individuals.
Related links:
- OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund website
- United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund fact sheet
- Date modified:
