Humanitarian response
Jersey Overseas Aid responds to multiple humanitarian crises around the globe every year, addressing the needs of those whose lives have been shattered through armed conflict and natural disasters. We support underfunded ‘orphan’ emergencies as well as those which make the headlines.
Chronic crises and sudden-onset emergencies demand coordinated and cost-effective responses, but humanitarian funding can be fragmented, onerous and, at times, wasteful. This is a particular danger for a small donor without much of a global presence. By providing funding to organisations that adhere to the highest standards of quality and accountability, we can ensure a swift, efficient and effective on the ground response can be deployed. Our humanitarian aid literally saves lives.
Jersey Overseas Aid also provides funding via the UN’s country based pooled funds (CBPFs) as well as the START Fund, a rapid financing mechanism managed by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which provides support in sudden onset small-medium scale crises. These funding mechanisms ensure Jersey’s aid reaches the best-placed local organisations and the neediest beneficiaries, while also contributing to improving the overall coordination of humanitarian responses.
In 2021 JOA provided more than £3million worth of emergency humanitarian support and in 2022 it will exceed £4.5m.
For information about the Bailiff's Ukraine Appeal and Jersey's Ukraine response, visit the Ukraine Response page.
Where Jersey has sent humanitarian relief in 2023
| Agency | Programme | Country | Value | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Care International | CARE Sudan Response | Sudan | £75,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) | Sudan Emergency - Regional Response Plan | Sudan | £75,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| The Leprosy Mission England | From Cyclone Chaos to Rebuilding - TLM/JOA Emergency Response to Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar | Burma | £30,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| OCHA | Syrian Humanitarian Fund (Country Based Pooled Fund) | Syria | £100,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| OCHA | South Sudan Humanitarian Fund (Country Based Pooled Fund) | South Sudan | £200,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| OCHA | Central African Republic (CAR) Humanitarian Fund (Country Based Pooled Fund) | Central African Republic | £150,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| OCHA | Yemen Humanitarian Fund (Country Based Pooled Fund) | Yemen | £150,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| International Health Partners | Turkey/Syria Earthquake Response | Turkey, Syria | £40,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Crown Agents | Generators for Health Facilities in Mykolaiv | Ukraine | £159,214 | 2023 | 2023 |
| United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) | Response to the Rohingya crisis in Bangladesh 2023 | Bangladesh | £200,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Crown Agents Ltd | Provision of medical equipment for Odessa | Ukraine | £135,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| British Red Cross | Health Provision in Mykolaiv | Ukraine | £100,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| International Health Partners | Ukraine Crisis: access to vital healthcare | Ukraine | £35,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Friends Of Ukraine -EOD | Training to the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, Ukraine | Ukraine | £16,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Aid Fund for North Syria | Aid Fund for North Syria | Syria | £200,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) | Cyclone Freddy Response | Malawi | £25,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Opportunity International UK | Cyclone Freddy Response | Malawi | £30,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| Plan International UK | Cyclone Freddy Response | Malawi | £13,200 | 2023 | 2024 |
| RedR UK | Engineering for Humanity: Strengthening Earthquake Response and Reconstruction in Türkiye and Syria | Syria, Turkey | £74,792 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Friends Of Ukraine -EOD | Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Support: Ukraine National Agencies | Ukraine | £124,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Crown Agents Ltd | Procuring and delivering medical equipment for health facilities across Mykolaiv | Ukraine | £119,528 | 2023 | 2023 |
| British Red Cross | Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal | Syria, Turkey | £150,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Medical Aid for Palestinians | Promoting Women's Rights and Inclusive Health | The Occupied Palestinian Territory | £103,000 | 2023 | 2023 |
| People in Need UK | Civil Society Now: A demand-driven scalable approach to enhancing the response of local and national actors | Myanmar | £100,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| British Red Cross | Libya Flood Response | Libya | £100,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
| RedR UK | Morocco Earthquake Response | Morocco | £75,000 | 2023 | 2024 |
Project in focus: Syria
COUNTRY; Syria
PARTNERS: OCHA
In 2021, for the sixth consecutive year, Jersey contributed to the Syrian Humanitarian Fund, a Country Based Pooled Fund managed by UN OCHA.
Pooled Funds allow JOA to provide aid in multiple sectors at the absolute frontline of the humanitarian emergency without the risk and cost of bilateral funding. Our resources can be deployed rapidly to where they are most needed, to agencies we would never be able to vet or oversee on our own. The professional, transparent and low-cost administration of the funds make this an efficient and low-risk way for JOA to provide support. Since 2016 JOA has given over £2.2million to the SHF to address the intense suffering of the Syrian people.
“For six years, Jersey Overseas Aid has provided generous support to the Fund, enabling us to make a real and meaningful difference in the lives of countless Syrian women, men and children.”
United Nations Junior Professional officer scheme
Jersey Overseas Aid joined the United Nations’ Junior Professional Officer scheme in 2021. The international programme provides young professionals, sponsored by their respective governments, an extraordinary opportunity to embark on a career within the UN system and to contribute at the frontline of an ongoing humanitarian emergency.
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