Humanitarian funding shortfall

Definition. The gap between the financial resources considered necessary to respond to a humanitarian crisis and the funding actually available for the planned operations.

Key points. Humanitarian organisations estimate their financial requirements on the basis of the number of people requiring assistance, the type of assistance needed, the expected duration of operations and their logistical costs. Contributions come in particular from states, international organisations, pooled funds and private donors.

A funding shortfall requires operations to be adjusted to the resources available. It may result in a reduction in the number of beneficiaries, smaller food rations or cash transfers, less frequent distributions, the suspension of certain programmes or the concentration of resources on populations considered the most vulnerable.

A lack of funding must be distinguished from difficulties of access. An organisation may have the necessary resources but be unable to reach a population because of fighting, a blockade or administrative restrictions. It may also have physical access to a population without having sufficient resources to assist it.

The two constraints may occur simultaneously. Distinguishing between them makes it possible to identify what arises from access to the territory, the financial resources available and the decisions taken to allocate assistance.

Related concepts. Humanitarian aid · Humanitarian targeting · Acute food insecurity · Forced displacement