Who we are

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies. OCHA's mission is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors in order to alleviate human suffering in disasters and emergencies.

What we do

OCHA advocates for the rights of people in need, promote preparedness and prevention, and facilitates sustainable solutions. OCHA contributes to principled and effective humanitarian response through coordination, advocacy, policy, information management and humanitarian financing tools and services.

Coordination

OCHA brings together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other humanitarian organizations.

Advocacy

OCHA’s public and private advocacy raises awareness of forgotten crises, promotes respect for international law, amplifies the voices of crisis-affected people, and enables people obtain access to humanitarian assistance.

Policy

Through leadership in developing humanitarian policy, OCHA helps set the agenda for humanitarian sector reform and effectiveness in response to a shifting global landscape, new global frameworks, and increased capacities of national Governments and local actors.

Information management

OCHA provides information management services to the humanitarian community to inform a rapid, effective and principled response. It gathers, shares and uses data and information, underpinning coordination, decision-making and advocacy.

Humanitarian Financing

OCHA works with humanitarian partners around the world to mobilize resources to ensure that humanitarian needs are met. OCHA ensures more responsive and strategic humanitarian financing through two types of humanitarian funds: Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which can cover emergencies anywhere in the world, and country-based pooled funds (CBPFs) – the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund (MHF) which cover crises in Myanmar.

OCHA in Myanmar

OCHA established its presence in Myanmar in May 2008 in response to Cyclone Nargis. In view of the prevailing situation in Myanmar and the high risk of recurrent natural hazard disasters, OCHA maintained its presence in the country to support the Government with coordination of the humanitarian response at union and state levels, including emergency response preparedness, by bringing together national and international partners.

OCHA works closely with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, as well as other relevant government entities at union and state levels, and actively supports Government efforts for a more systematic, inclusive and coordinated approach to humanitarian challenges in Myanmar.

OCHA’s presence in the country has been responsive to emerging needs. With its offices in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Myitkyina, Lashio, and Sittwe, OCHA’s work involves coordination of the international humanitarian response to various humanitarian challenges, including food insecurity, natural disasters and internal displacement. With the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country in 2020, OCHA has also been actively coordinating the efforts of international and national humanitarian partners on prevention, preparedness and risk communication and community engagement in camps and displacements sites, as well as efforts to address the humanitarian needs of the returning migrant workers.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

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