(UN Agency)
(1) Overview of activities
OCHA’s mission is to mobilise and coordinate the collective efforts of the international community, in particular those of the UN system, for effective and principled humanitarian action, in order to meet the needs arising from disasters and emergencies.
OCHA has a worldwide presence through its country offices, Headquarters/Liaison offices and regional support offices. OCHA’s estimated 2008 budget is US$ 213 million, 90% of which must be raised through voluntary contributions.
OCHA manages the Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP), an inter-agency mechanism used by UN humanitarian agencies and NGO partners to appeal for funds in order to respond to assessed needs in a coordinated manner. Since 1991, the United Nations has issued over 200 appeals and raised some US$40 billion in voluntary contributions. Learn more about OCHA.
(2) Role in emergency relief and reconstruction
(4) Contributions/Contact Info
OCHA accepts cash contributions from business by check or by wire transfer. To donate, please click on: OCHA Online.
You can also help pre-position funding for disaster response by making a contribution to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). To find out more about donations to the CERF, send an email to cerf@un.org or visit the CERF-website.
For more information on in-kind donations or partnerships with OCHA visit the OCHA/LSU website or contact:
Christelle Loupforest
External and Donor Relations Officer
New York
Tel: 1-212-9631375
Fax: 1-212-9631312
e-mail: loupforest@un.org
Ms. Isabelle de Muyser-Boucher
Humanitarian Affairs Officer
Geneva
Tel: +41 22 (0) 917 32 90
Fax: +41 22 (0) 917 01 42
e-mail: demuyser-boucher@un.org
(5) Examples of engagement with the private sector
1. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is providing professional services to assist the UN with its efforts to enhance accountability and transparency with respect to the use of contributions made under the Tsunami Flash Appeal. PwC is making available forensic accounting tools and advisory services toward the improvement of the UN’s public tracking system. Based on PwC’s recommendations and utilizing OCHA’s resources, OCHA will launch a UN Tsunami Flash Appeal Tracking System (to be available on www.ReliefWeb.int) to provide public access to information on contributions and their use.
2. Ericsson has signed a MoU with OCHA in 2001 to provide rapid emergency telecommunications in support of humanitarian operations. The capacity was used for the first time in Afghanistan in 2001. In 2005, Ericsson helped the UN respond to the tsunami in Indonesia and to the earthquake in Pakistan.
3. BASF has collaborated with OCHA and UNEP in response to chemical spill / organic contamination following mudslides in Venezuela. BASF subsequently joined OCHA-UNEP Environmental Emergencies and deployed two highly trained environmental experts to the scene, on a cost-shared basis with the Joint Unit. The model is noteworthy because it gives OCHA and UNEP access to significant private sector resources/expertise to supplement its international roster/network. Options to expand this model to other corporations are under review by OCHA Environmental Emergency Services.
4. DHL is setting up a global network of Disaster Response Teams which can be activated by OCHA to help manage airport logistics in disaster relief operations. A first team located in Singapore is ready for deployment. Each team consists of up to 80 volunteers.
5. Worldcheck provides OCHA a state-of-the-art information tool to monitor, track, review, and correlate information about companies to ensure the building of a trusted relationship network with the private sector. It allows OCHA to access consolidated and highly structured information of companies and examine their potentials and risks for the partnership building process 24/7. With the cooperation of Worldcheck OCHA can automatically and cost-efficiently filter virtually unlimited amounts of data profiles of thousands economic entities.
OCHA mobilises and coordinates the deployment of an international rapid response to emergencies caused by natural disasters and conflict.
(3) Major opportunities for business support
Business can contribute the following types of resources to support OCHA’s emergency response activities:
> Cash (preferred)
> Communications and marketing services
> Advertising space
> Computer and communication equipment (hardware preferred)
> Professional services and expertise
> Basic non-food, non-medical emergency relief items such as water purification, storage and distribution systems, shelter equipment, blankets, tools, generators, kitchen equipment sets
> For more specific listings of in-kind contributions please visit the Logistics Support Unit website
> Before contacting OCHA regarding an in-kind donation, please read the section of this guide entitled
“Contributions that cannot be accepted” in “How Can My Company Help?”
6. Western Union Foundation provided a US$100,000 grant for the Central Emerggency Response Fund under its "One World, One Family" campaign.
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