UNOCHA – Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF) for the oPt 2016-2017

The situation in the oPt remains a protracted protection crisis with humanitarian consequences, driven by a lack of respect for international law, lack of accountability and impunity, which fosters further violations. Humanitarian needs are exacerbated by the impact of the economic crisis, the financial instability of the PA, as well as seasonal weather conditions, mostly winter storms. Policies linked to the prolonged Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, compounded by recurrent hostilities, internal Palestinian political divisions, and lack of progress in the peace process, are principal drivers of humanitarian needs and vulnerability. While Israel bears primary responsibility for the protection of the Palestinian population in the oPt and to ensure its basic needs are met, in the absence of an appropriate response, the international community has the duty to intervene to assist those in need.  However, the increase of humanitarian needs in oPt happens in a region highly affected by conflicts, leaving only limited available humanitarian resources. Therefore strategic, prioritised, concerted and principled humanitarian response is critical.

To provide members of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in oPt with effective, principled and rapid humanitarian response mechanism to:

1. Enhance advocacy and protection activities.
2. Support life-saving and life-sustaining activities while filling critical funding gaps;
3. Promote needs-based assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles;
4. Strengthen coordination and leadership primarily through the function of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and by leveraging the cluster system;
5. Improve the relevance and coherence of humanitarian response by strategically funding priorities as identified under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP);
6. Expand the delivery of assistance in hard-to-reach areas by partnering with national and international NGOs;

The civilian population at large facing humanitarian needs and lacking protection in time of crisis.

Local and International organizations & decision-makers influencing humanitarian response in the oPt.

HCT members & agencies (UN agencies, national and international NGOs

1. The quality and effectiveness of emergency humanitarian response is enhanced;
2. Needs-based assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles is promoted;
3.  Coordination and leadership are strengthened, primarily through the cluster system and function of the HC as envisaged in the Transformative Agenda;
4.  Relevance and coherence of humanitarian response is improved by strategically funding humanitarian action as identified in the HRP process.

Principaux résultats attendus:  

1. Maintain crucial provision of basic humanitarian assistance and responses to prevent further deterioration in lives and livelihoods of Palestinian women and men
2.  Provide sufficient funding to support rapid responses needed during and after an ongoing armed conflict as well at the onset of disasters and crisis before mainstream responses come on line.
3. Provide funding to priority interventions as gaps are identified under the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP)
4. Provide an operational mechanism relevant to humanitarian advocacy and protection priorities.

Principaux résultats antérieurs:  

1. HPF has funded 219 projects since its establishment in 2007. The total amount of funds disbursed for these projects reached 42'764’253 million USD and benefitted 14’290’728 people. (over the years, the same vulnerable persons have benefitted from different projects, thus leading to this high number of beneficiaries)
2. Funded projects addressed emergency needs and/or filled critical gaps in Agriculture, Education, Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), and Health and Nutrition.
3. HPF has aligned its strategy with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Humanitarian response plan (HRP) over the past five years, as a tool for the provision of flexible and predictable financing to promote greater effectiveness, accountability and partnership in humanitarian response.
4. In 2015, the HPF disbursed USD 4’213’291 compared to US$ 14 million for 64 projects in 2014 (Due to the armed conflict in Gaza Strip) for 18  projects to address the urgent needs of Emergency Shelter & NFI, food security, health and education in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including 12 projects (66%) implemented in Gaza  Strip and 6 projects (34%) in the West Bank
5. Of the projects approved in 2015, 6 projects were implemented by National NGOs (NNGOs), 11 by INGOs (including 6 in partnership with NNGOs), and one by a UN agency. 
6. Moreover, in 2015, the HPF continued venturing into the modality of supporting unfunded priorities in the HRP; which was adopted in 2014 as a step into a more strategic HPF. This resulted with a number of projects in Area C and Gaza Strip.
7. National NGOs continued to have the lion share in the participation with HPF where 60% of the projects were implemented by them either directly or in partnership with INGOs and UN agencies.

Germany, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Belgium, Iceland, Italy, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom

Many of SDC partners are members of the different humanitarian clusters, including national organizations, can potentially benefit from the HPF to complement SDC regular funding as well as contribute to decisions about humanitarian priorities.

HPF offers a platform for coordination of response and advocacy with key actors and among donors. On the Advisory Board of the ERF, International NGOs are represented by AIDA and national NGOs by PNGO, both partners to SDC. UN partners such as OCHA and OHCHR play a decisive role.

Phase 4 01.12.2015 - 31.12.2017   (Completed)