Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 06/2009

Making Pooled Funding Work for People in Crisis

Tanja Schuemer-Cross

May 2009

Oxfam Publishing

Abstract

International humanitarian aid provides relief to tens of millions of people each year: in 2007 to more than 43 million people through UN humanitarian appeals alone. However, it is also often too little, too late, and unpredictable, or inappropriate to the needs of communities, including specific groups such as women and girls. The UN-led reforms since 2005 to improve humanitarian aid have begun - but only begun - to make a difference to this variable performance.