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United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Logo.svg
Org type Secretariat office
Status Active
Headquarters New York, United States
Geneva, Switzerland

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a special part of the United Nations (UN). It was created in December 1991. Its main job is to help the world respond better to big emergencies and natural disasters. OCHA took over from an older office called the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).

In 1998, OCHA became the UN's main point of contact for major disasters. Its role grew to include coordinating humanitarian response, making policies, and speaking up for people in need. OCHA helps organize money for aid, shares important information, and helps send quick-response teams when emergencies happen.

OCHA is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. This person is chosen for a five-year term. Since July 2021, Martin Griffiths from the United Kingdom has held this important role.

OCHA also helped organize the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. It is also an observer in the United Nations Development Group.

Who Works at OCHA and Where They Are Located

OCHA is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, who is Martin Griffiths since July 2021. OCHA has two main offices, one in New York and one in Geneva. It also has 6 regional offices, 34 country offices, and 20 teams of humanitarian advisers around the world.

OCHA Staff Around the World

As of June 2016, OCHA had about 2,300 staff members. These staff members work in over 60 countries across the globe.

OCHA Country Offices

OCHA has major offices in many countries on all continents. Some of these countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. They also have offices in Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Palestinian territories, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Regional offices are located in cities like Panama City, Dakar, Cairo, Johannesburg, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur. OCHA also has staff in New York and Geneva who help with connections and support. For example, after the 2020 Beirut explosions, Najat Rochdi helped coordinate OCHA's work in Lebanon.

How OCHA Helps People

OCHA offers many services to help with its mission. Here are some of the main ways it helps:

  • ReliefWeb: This is a key source for urgent humanitarian information about global crises and disasters. ReliefWeb works 24/7. It provides the latest reports, maps, pictures, and videos from trusted sources. It also lists jobs and training for people who work in humanitarian aid. It started in 1996.
  • Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF): This is a special fund set up by the UN General Assembly in 2006. Its goals are to help quickly to save lives, respond to urgent needs, and support humanitarian efforts in crises that don't get enough funding.
  • Humanitarian Reform: This is about making humanitarian help more effective. It aims to make sure aid is more predictable, accountable, and involves better partnerships.
  • Who Does What Where (3W) Database: To help people quickly during a disaster, it's important to know who is doing what and where. This database, started in 2006, helps track which organizations are doing which activities in which locations. It also has a contact directory to make it easy to find people.
  • Common and Fundamental Operational Datasets (CODs): These are important sets of data that help humanitarian workers in many areas. They are seen as standard information for the humanitarian community. The main place to find these datasets is the Humanitarian Data Exchange.
  • Civil Military Coordination (UN-CMCoord) Course: Since 2004, OCHA has worked with the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance to offer this course. It teaches how civilian aid groups and military forces can work together during emergencies. This training helps improve coordination in the field.
  • OCHA in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt): OCHA has an office in the occupied Palestinian territory, set up in 2002. It supports international efforts to help with the difficult humanitarian situation there.
  • Global Humanitarian Overview: Since 2015, OCHA has produced annual reports called the Global Humanitarian Overview. These reports give a big picture of humanitarian needs and responses around the world.
  • Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks: Since 2015, OCHA has acted as the main organizer for these annual weeks. They bring together different groups and partners working in humanitarian aid.

Key Achievements in 2023

In 2023, OCHA did a lot of important work. For example, it successfully helped coordinate humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, receiving almost $3.7 billion in support. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) gave out $735 million to help 33 million people in 42 countries. This included quick help in Ukraine and for global food shortages. Also, record donations to the Country-Based Pooled Funds helped over 47 million people worldwide.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Oficina de Naciones Unidas para la Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios para niños

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