IASC Proposals to Address the Inconsistency in Unlocking and Disbursing Funds to NGOs in COVID-19 Response

As raised by the Emergency Relief Coordinator at the IASC Principals meeting on 28th April, there is some progress in providing funding to NGOs which are on the front lines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, more needs to be done to ensure that funding is quickly disbursed to international, national and local NGOs with capacity and access to support a timely and effective response. There has been strong NGO participation in the development of the May update of the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 (GHRP) and now this must also be reflected in access to funding. At the request of the IASC Principals, the Results Group 5 on Humanitarian Financing set up a subgroup of NGOs and UN agencies to identify concrete proposals to address the inconsistency in unlocking and disbursing funds to NGOs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The proposals set forward, which serve as a basis for further development, are the result of this work and cover planning, increased funding, and reporting. The proposals will require follow-up discussion and actions - both at global and country levels - to ensure adequate and sustained progress and broader system-wide support.