- Latest Humanitarian Emergency Fund annual report
published
Almost 64,000 people in five of the world's most vulnerable
countries were directly supported by Scottish Government
emergency aid worth £1.4 million during the last financial year.
The funding helped to provide life-saving assistance to those
affected by the earthquake in Myanmar while supporting
humanitarian efforts in crisis-hit areas including the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Sudan and Afghanistan. Funding also supported
Malawi's acute food crisis.
, Minister for Equalities and
International Development said:
We are living through unpredictable shifts in global politics,
making it all too easy to overlook the enormous humanitarian
impact of war on the world's most vulnerable communities.
Millions of lives have for too long been blighted by poverty and
inequality and are now being threatened by the accelerating
impact of climate change - as we may tragically have witnessed in
Nepal this week.
The Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) has supported
Scottish-based charities and their expert local partners to
deliver the most appropriate life-saving support, not only for
high profile disasters but also major crises that, despite their
scale and impact, are all too often overlooked.
The Scottish Government remains committed to playing its part in
helping vulnerable people survive these deadly crises and rebuild
their lives.
Frances Guy, the outgoing independent chair of the expert HEF
Panel said:
Scottish Government support has helped save thousands of lives in
some of the world's most vulnerable communities, From the
world's biggest and most acute humanitarian crisis in Sudan to
Afghanistan, DR Congo, Malawi and Myanmar these vital funds have
allowed Scottish charities to work more effectively with long
established and trusted local organisations who really understand
what their citizens need in times of extreme crisis.
"Whether that is delivery of food or clean water or increasingly
direct cash payments to give families more dignity and choice on
what they need the most to make it through unimaginable hardship,
the Humanitarian Emergency Fund has been of life saving
importance over the past nine years.
"We are really heartened that the Scottish Government has
committed to increasing its overall international development
spending during this Parliament as well as its contribution to
humanitarian response in the years to come.
Through our collaborative expert network in Scotland and in
countries increasingly in danger across the world, we look
forward to working with the Scottish Government to deliver
effective humanitarian response it is needed more than
ever.
In total the Fund has been activated 47 times over the last ten
years, supporting almost 1 million people in 27 countries.
Background
Humanitarian Emergency Fund:
annual report 2025-26
The Humanitarian Emergency Fund was set up by the Scottish
Government in 2017 to ensure that its humanitarian funding is
used effectively and transparently.
The HEF awarded a minimum of £1 million every year through an
expert panel comprising representatives of eight Scottish
humanitarian charities. The panel met regularly to assess global
crises and advise the Scottish Government where this funding can
have the greatest impact.
This enables the charities to respond swiftly and appropriately
to both sudden onset emergencies as well as protracted crises.
The HEF used a rigorous peer review process to select the most
appropriate projects and was supported by the Disasters Emergency
Committee (DEC) who administered the Fund. This process brings
greater accountability whilst also fostering a culture of
continuous improvement and innovation in humanitarian response.
