OCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Published purpose

The African field and regional offices of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are responsible for the inter-agency coordination between all humanitarian assistance agencies that provide relief in response to conflicts and natural disasters on the continent. Regional offices located in Dakar, Senegal; Nairobi, Kenya; and Johannesburg, South Africa, and are vital to coordinating emergency operations that meet the needs of crisis-affected populations. CIDA's contribution is supporting OCHA's regional offices to coordinate humanitarian activities of United Nations agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations throughout Africa. Activities focus on supporting and strengthening existing coordination structures; analyzing crisis situations; managing and disseminating information to implicated parties; mobilizing resources; and conducting key advocacy activities, particularly to help ensure that humanitarian workers can safely carry out their operations.