Out of the Box: Un Pooled Funds – Breakthrough or Bottleneck?

Описание: Pooled funds are both the new hope and the latest buzzword for humanitarian action, which has been in crisis since 2025. Two decisions further strengthened the momentum and focus on UN-led pooled funds in early 2026:

Firstly, the decision by the US to pledge US$2 billion in humanitarian action to UN-led pooled funds such as Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) as a top priority of its engagement in 2026. Secondly, the announcement by Save the Children, one of the five largest international humanitarian NGOs, to withdraw from these CBPFs.

The German government also plans to significantly increase German support for pooled funds. These developments raise key questions that are closely linked to the future of humanitarian action:

What exactly are pooled funds, and what are the pros and cons of the various UN, INGO or locally managed approaches?
What is behind the focus on UN pooled funds as a central instrument for humanitarian action?
What are the benefits of UN-led pooled funds and for whom? Can they really contribute to a breakthrough of locally-led humanitarian action, as intended? Or is there a risk of assistance becoming politicised, as critics fear given the US commitment and its strict conditions?
Should other actors follow Save the Children’s example and withdraw from CBPFs for the benefit of local humanitarian organisations?
We discussed these and other questions in an online talk as part of the ‘Out of the Box’ series with
Abdurahman Sharif, Senior Director, Program Impact, Influencing and Humanitarian Affairs, Save the Children International; Dr Yuliya Sporysh, CEO & Founder, NGO Divchata/Girls (Ukraine) and Goda Milašiūtė, Research Fellow, CHA. Moderation: Ralf Südhoff, Director, CHA

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