OCHA Annual Report 2018: A year of unprecedented needs, record donor generosity and important change

In 2018, humanitarian needs reached an unprecedented scale. Fortunately, donors responded generously by financing the humanitarian system at record levels. Over 133 million people needed humanitarian assistance in 41 countries. To meet their needs, we asked for US $25 billion. Donors provided more than $15 billion for the UN-coordinated appeals.

“This is a clear sign of the compassion and humanity of our donors and their citizens”, said UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock. “But it also demonstrates the trust in the global humanitarian system, which undoubtedly saves millions of lives every year.”

OCHA’s 2018 Annual Report highlights how the organization coordinated responses around the globe to alleviate suffering. The report covers a year when famine was prevented in Yemen. We also mobilized funding and lobbied for improved access to people caught up in protracted crises in places such as the Central African Republic, the Lake Chad Basin, Syria and South Sudan.

The report takes stock of OCHA’s actions and activities during 2018, highlighting the role of OCHA, Member States, and other United Nations and civil society partners in ensuring that the most vulnerable people in crises received timely and quality humanitarian assistance.

The report also provides an update on the restructuring process within OCHA, which has helped the organization emerge as a more field-focused and decentralized entity. The change process is rooted in bringing together the best of OCHA to help humanitarian partners save and protect lives.

Read and download the full report here.

Original source: OCHA
Published on 11 June 2019