Common Humanitarian Fund: South Sudan

A shifting context. The operating environment
in 2013 was markedly different from the previous
year. The refugee situation stabilized to the point
where programming transitioned from emergency
response to maintenance and care. Violence and
displacement decreased in most parts of the country.
Work on the South Sudan Compact and the introduction
of a new pooled fund to support the health
sector signalled new development opportunities. At
the same time, conflict in Jonglei State triggered a
major emergency and a large-scale humanitarian response.
At the very end of the year the country was
engulfed in a dramatic new crisis with extensive conflict
and displacement. A huge relief operation and
concerted efforts to mitigate widespread hunger will
dominate 2014 and beyond.
Contributions in a competitive environment.
With US$92m in new contributions during the year
from eight donors, the CHF was again the biggest
fund of its kind around the world. However, total income
was down by 22 per cent as compared to 2012,
as high-profile crises, particularly Syria, competed
for resources. The contributions nonetheless enabled
the CHF to be the third largest source of funding for
projects in the Consolidated Appeal (CAP), providing
8 per cent of total requirements and 12 per cent of all
the resources secured against the appeal.
Allocations responsive to priorities. The CHF
supported 139 CAP projects through 208 separate
funding allocations. 83 per cent of these went to top
priority projects, demonstrating the responsiveness
of the CHF to the shifting priorities of the aid operation.
NGOs received just over half of all allocated
funds, up from 42 per cent in the preceding year. The
share allocated to national NGOs increased by 50
per cent. The fund played two main roles. For some
projects it provided a small share of the total funding
needed to fill gaps and leverage resources from
other sources. For other time-sensitive and top priority
projects the CHF was the main source of funding
to ensure timely procurement and delivery of lifesaving
assistance.
Alignment with the seasonal calendar. Efforts
to align the timing of contributions, allocations and
disbursements with the seasonal calendar had
mixed results. The first standard allocation conducted
in February was marked by a protracted period of
disbursements up to July and delays in the start-up
of several projects. The alignment was better for the
second standard allocation conducted in August.
Most donor contributions were secured in the same
month as the allocation, shortening the disbursement
period and speeding up the start-up of projects.
Monitoring, reporting and results. Between
March 2013 and March 2014, through CHF funding
approximately 1.6 million people received some form
of humanitarian assistance. The fund piloted innovative
M&R arrangements in 2013. The placement of
M&R Specialists with clusters enhanced oversight
of CHF-funded projects and reinforced clusters’ capacity
to monitor and report on the overall response
in their sectors. The M&R mechanism also helped
new funding allocations to best meet beneficiaries’
needs. CHF stakeholders have recognized that embedding
M&R Specialists within clusters is an efficient
way to strengthen accountability of humanitarian
activities. To build on these achievements, it will
be important to put these arrangements on a sustainable
footing in 2014.
Progress and challenges. The second year of operation
saw substantive improvements in many areas
of the CHF’s governance, management and operations.
There is scope for more progress on alignment
of contributions, allocations and disbursements; donor
diversification and resource mobilization; comprehensive
risk management arrangements; and
communications with stakeholders.