AFRICAN HUMANITARIAN FUND

About the African Humanitarian Fund

The African Humanitarian Fund (AHF) is an innovative, rapid response Africa regional grant making and resource mobilization initiative, whose mission is to build strong local and national organizations, that are well coordinated, informed and have the ability to influence the humanitarian agenda. Through grant making and capacity building in support of the core aims of humanitarian action, it brings together both local and national humanitarian organisations across Africa to preserve, protect and save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance physical security and promote human dignity.

The Fund, the first ever such non-governmental initiative established by and for African civil society, therefore seeks to fill these gaps. As an Africa-wide grant making and capacity building initiative for reflection and action on humanitarian responses in African settings, AHF underscores the need for a humanitarian fund and alliance building and knowledge sharing platform as a mechanism to strengthen coordination of local and national humanitarian organisations across the continent.

The Fund was conceived as a mechanism to strengthen coordination of local and national organisations in response to the humanitarian situation in local communities across Africa. Is is hosted at and administered by the African NGO Council with support from individuals and partner institutions. In addition, the African NGO Council is the meeting point and serves as host of the Fund’s secretariat and its Board and Advisory Committee constituted to provide strategic guidance and leadership direction to the Fund. And, in its overall operations, AHF takes cognizance of the fact that the scourge of conflicts in Africa constitutes a major impediment to the socio-economic development of the continent. It also recognises the need to promote peace, security and stability as prerequisites for the implementation of Africa’s long-term development and integration agenda.

This is of utmost importance that the Fund supports local NGOs responding to the needs of both rural and urban communities of Africa. A tremendous and consistent impactful progress is being made in achieving results under the core humanitarian standards and principles, and sector areas of emergency response programs, advocacy and social mobilization for human development, livelihoods enhancement, protection, physical infrastructure schemes, disaster preparedness and mitigation, building new partnership with multinational organizations and expansion of development cooperation with both donor agencies and non-governmental organisations across Africa and around the world.

In its overall operations, the Fund complements the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the African Governance Architecture and various relevant regional and international initiatives on humanitarian activities in Africa. The Fund recognizes extant international norms and standards on the various aspects and scope of humanitarian action. It further recognizes the linkages between humanitarian assistance, peace and security, natural and human-induced disasters and development issues, and it therefore provides an overarching framework and a broad intent of African civil society organisations to become active in Africa’s humanitarian responses. AHF also complements and supports the policies of AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the international community, United Nations (UN) agencies, the Core Humanitarian Standards, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, national and international NGOs and other humanitarian actors and stakeholders.

Our Corporate Vision

AHF’s corporate vision is “a peaceful Africa where the communities have all kind of liberties to exercise their basic rights and lead a secure, peaceful and healthy life.”

Our Mission Statement

AHF’s mission is “to strengthen Africa’s humanitarian response by enhancing local and national NGOs leadership role and mandate through providing grants and strategic approaches and guidelines for African civil actions and efforts in conformity with African Shared Values, and norms and standards for humanitarian action on the African continent; in full respect of international law; and on the other hand in strengthening the primary responsibility of local and national NGOs by strengthening their predictive, preventive, response and adaptive capabilities.”

This mission is being supported by a strategic approach and guidelines for coordinating and supporting national NGOs involvement in early warning and prevention efforts, in addressing root causes and durable solutions, ensuring adequate preparations to respond to and deal with root causes and the aftermaths of humanitarian challenges on the continent. This is in conformity with the core aims mentioned below.