Humanitarian Emergency Fund Annual Report 2024-2025
19 Aug 2025 10:49 AM
A summary of the report on the impact of projects funded through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund in 2024 to 2025.
Executive Summary
Introduction
The United Nations (UN) has estimated that in 2025, 305 million people around the world require humanitarian assistance due to global escalating conflict and climate emergencies. The ongoing conflict in Sudan is driving ever greater humanitarian need, Syria has witnessed a political upheaval and subsequent instability and uncertainty, and the catastrophic human suffering in Gaza is at a critical level. Climate shocks and droughts across Southern and Eastern Africa, and extreme heatwaves in Southeast Asia, have exacerbated existing humanitarian needs for vulnerable communities.
The Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) was set up by the Scottish Government in 2017 to ensure that its humanitarian funding is used effectively and transparently. The HEF awards a minimum of £1 million every year through an expert panel comprising representatives of eight Scottish humanitarian charities. The panel meets regularly to assess global crises and advise the Scottish Government where this funding can have the greatest impact. This enables the charities to respond swiftly and appropriately to both sudden onset emergencies as well as protracted crises. The HEF uses a rigorous peer review process to select the most appropriate projects. Supported by the Disasters Emergency Committee[1] which administers the Fund, this process brings greater accountability whilst also fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation in humanitarian response.
In the financial year April 2024 to March 2025, £1.225 million[2] was spent in 8 countries in response to four humanitarian crises. These were the Kenya flooding (May 2024), Southern Africa food crisis (August 2024), Middle East crisis (October 2024), and Sudan crisis (December 2024).
The Scottish Government allocated an extra £1.285 million in 2025 to top-up Zambia funding as part of the Southern Africa food crisis, additional funding to the DEC’s Middle East appeal, further funding to Sudan and neighbouring countries, and funding for Malawi drought and food crisis. In total the Scottish Government provided £2.51 million of humanitarian funding through the HEF mechanism.
This report details the impact and key learning of the HEF responses in the past year, which are summarised below.
2024-2025
£2.51 million Allocated
15 HEF projects
10 Countries
158,007 total people reached directly
91,405 Females reached directly
66,602 Males reached directly
2017-2025 in numbers
26 countries
37 activations
£4.7m DEC appeals
£8.3m HEF projects
£3.6m Funds allocated through additional humanitarian funding
£18.8 million Total funds
869,549 Total people reached by HEF projects
Additional humanitarian funding refers to SG funding delivered outside the HEF process.
Acronyms
DEC: Disasters Emergency Committee
GBV: Gender-based violence
HEF: Humanitarian Emergency Fund
ICRC: International Committee of the Red Cross
IDP: Internally Displaced Person
IFRC: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
NFI: Non-food items
PDM: Post-distribution monitoring survey
PHCC: Primary Health Care Centres
WASH: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
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