UNOCHA
UNOCHA coordinates international humanitarian response on behalf of the UN system, convening agencies, NGOs, and donor governments; managing pooled financing instruments such as CERF and CBPFs; and operating shared information platforms (ReliefWeb, HDX, FTS) across 60+ active humanitarian settings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersWest New York, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What UNOCHA does
UNOCHA is the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly established in 1991 by Resolution 46/182 with an exclusive mandate to mobilize and coordinate international humanitarian response. Its core functions are threefold: convening humanitarian actors (UN agencies, the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, NGOs, and donor governments) under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator; managing pooled financing instruments including the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF, ~$1B annual target), Country-Based Pooled Funds, and the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund; and operating shared information services — ReliefWeb, the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX), and the Financial Tracking Service — that form the de facto public data backbone of the humanitarian system.
Operationally, OCHA maintains headquarters in New York and Geneva, with approximately 2,600 staff deployed across 27 country offices, 5 regional offices, and coordination presences in more than 60 countries. It also sustains the UNDAC rapid-deployment system, OSOCC on-site coordination centers, and INSARAG search-and-rescue advisory capacity, which together constitute a global emergency-response infrastructure that is functionally unique.
Its business model is non-commercial: the organization is funded almost entirely through voluntary contributions from approximately 31 OECD/DAC donor governments (coordinated through the OCHA Donor Support Group, expanded from 7 members in 1998) supplemented by a smaller UN regular budget allocation. Funding is requested annually through coordinated appeals and the Global Humanitarian Overview, and the operating budget is set against programme delivery rather than revenue generation — there is no pricing model, customer acquisition funnel, or revenue-per-employee benchmark in the commercial sense.
UNOCHA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UNOCHA
- Legal name
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- Website
- https://unocha.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- UNOCHA coordinates international humanitarian response on behalf of the UN system, convening agencies, NGOs, and donor governments; managing pooled financing instruments such as CERF and CBPFs; and operating shared information platforms (ReliefWeb, HDX, FTS) across 60+ active humanitarian settings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UNOCHA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Humanitarian Coordination Services
- NAICS
- Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), International Affairs (92812)
- SIC
- International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment (BPADADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA), Humanitarian Coordination & Disaster Risk Reduction IGOs (BPADAAAE), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Disaster Response Coordination & Incident Command (EOC/ICS) (HLAJAGAB)
Keywords
Where UNOCHA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
UNOCHA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Voluntary Contributions: Most of OCHA's funding comes from voluntary contributions from a diverse set of donors including governments, institutions, private sector and individuals. Contributions include unearmarked contributions to OCHA's Programme, thematic or softly earmarked support, and contributions to the UN Global Emergency Fund (CERF) or the Country-Based Pooled Funds.
- UN Regular Budget: Only a small percentage of OCHA's programme budget is funded from the UN Regular Budget.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
UNOCHA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UNOCHA coordinates international humanitarian response to conflicts and natural disasters through the Humanitarian Programme Cycle, deploys rapid-assessment teams via UNDAC and OSOCC within 12-48 hours, and manages multi-billion-dollar pooled funding mechanisms including CERF and Country-Based Pooled Funds. It operates global information platforms (ReliefWeb, Humanitarian Data Exchange, Financial Tracking Service) and chairs the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to ensure coherent humanitarian action across UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and national governments.
Product overview
UNOCHA operates a comprehensive humanitarian coordination platform consisting of multiple interconnected tools and services. The core offerings include information management platforms (ReliefWeb, ReliefWeb Response, Humanitarian Data Exchange), financial tracking and funding mechanisms (Financial Tracking Service, Central Emergency Response Fund, Country-Based Pooled Funds, Pooled Funds Data Hub), and rapid response coordination systems (UNDAC, OSOCC, Humanitarian Programme Cycle, Cluster System). These products work together to enable effective humanitarian coordination, from needs assessment through funding allocation to operational response. UNOCHA also produces the annual Global Humanitarian Overview and manages specialized regional funds like the Syria Cross-Border Humanitarian Fund.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ReliefWeb
Quantifiable outcome
- 239 million people identified as needing humanitarian assistance in 2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use UNOCHA
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
UNOCHA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
UNOCHA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)coreOCHA chairs the IASC, the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance. The IASC brings together all UN agencies and international NGOs to ensure coherent response to complex emergencies. OCHA provides the secretariat for this critical coordination mechanism.
- Norwegian Refugee CouncilcoreOCHA manages ProCap (Protection Standby Capacity Project) and GenCap (Gender Standby Capacity Project) in long-standing partnership with the Norwegian Refugee Council. These projects deploy expert advisors to strengthen protection and gender equality in humanitarian response.
- Stand-by Partner Programme OrganizationscoreExternal organizations provide humanitarian experts for temporary support to OCHA field offices through the Stand-by Partnership Programme. Managed by OCHA's Response Support Branch/Emergency Response Section in Geneva.
- Atlas LogistiquecorePartner in UNDAC deployment providing logistics support during disaster response operations. Mentioned as part of UNDAC teams responding to emergencies such as flooding in Mozambique.
- International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)coreOCHA manages INSARAG, a global network of search and rescue professionals dedicated to urban search and rescue operations. INSARAG coordinates international USAR teams during disaster responses.
- Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian AssistancemajorPartnership for development of Pacific Edition of Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination guidance, demonstrating regional cooperation on emergency preparedness.
- International Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementcoreKey humanitarian partner working with local, national and international organizations to implement CERF-funded grants. Part of the broader humanitarian coordination system.
- Pacific Humanitarian Team (PHT)coreNetwork of humanitarian organizations working together to assist Pacific Island Countries to prepare for and respond to disasters. Endorsed as coordination body by IASC in 2012. Includes UN agencies, NGOs, and IFRC.
- Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs) / Resident Coordinators (RCs)coreOCHA provides leadership support to Humanitarian Coordinators and UN Resident Coordinators who lead and coordinate humanitarian organizations in crisis countries. Supported through tools like the Peer-2-Peer Support Project.
- Humanitarian Adviser Teams (HATs)coreSmall OCHA presences based at country level but functionally part of regional offices. Support regional and country-level humanitarian coordinators with coordination, financing, and information management.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
UNOCHA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- World Food Programme (WFP): UN agency providing food assistance in emergencies and serving as the logistics backbone of the humanitarian system. WFP is a major recipient of OCHA-managed pooled funds (CERF/CBPFs) and a key cluster lead under OCHA's coordination framework.
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): Impartial humanitarian organization providing protection and assistance in conflict zones. As an IASC member with its own coordination mandate in armed conflict, ICRC operates as a parallel coordination body to OCHA in the most severe crises.
- UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): UN agency mandated to lead and coordinate international action for refugees. Like OCHA, UNHCR operates within the IASC, manages significant donor-funded programs, and coordinates humanitarian response for a specific population. Both are UN humanitarian bodies with global field operations.
- UNICEF: UN agency delivering humanitarian and development aid to children, with significant emergency response operations. UNICEF is a major IASC member, cluster lead, and recipient of OCHA-coordinated pooled funds across most major crises.
- International Organization for Migration (IOM): UN-related organization managing migration-related humanitarian response, including six refugee/migrant response plans coordinated alongside OCHA. IOM is a key operational partner in OCHA-led humanitarian coordination structures.
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): World's largest humanitarian network coordinating National Societies for disaster response, with permanent observer status in the UN General Assembly and active role in IASC. Operates parallel coordination architecture to OCHA, particularly at country level.
Emerging players
- UNFPA (UN Population Fund): UN agency addressing reproductive health and gender-based violence in humanitarian settings. Active IASC member, cluster co-lead, and recipient of OCHA pooled-fund allocations across major crises.
- UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees): UN agency delivering humanitarian assistance specifically to Palestinian refugees. UNRWA is an active recipient of OCHA-managed pooled funds and operates in the Occupied Palestinian Territory where OCHA coordinates the broader humanitarian response.
Broad incumbents
- World Health Organization (WHO): UN specialized agency leading the Global Health Cluster under OCHA's IASC framework. WHO coordinates health-sector humanitarian response globally and is a major implementing partner of CERF and CBPFs.
- UNDP (UN Development Programme): Larger UN entity with global field presence, particularly through UN Resident Coordinators whom OCHA supports. Engages in the humanitarian-development-nexus that OCHA coordinates, often co-located with OCHA in crisis countries.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
UNOCHA social profiles
Digital presenceUNOCHA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UNOCHA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
UNOCHA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
UNOCHA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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UNOCHA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UNOCHA
What does UNOCHA do?
UNOCHA coordinates international humanitarian response to conflicts and natural disasters through the Humanitarian Programme Cycle, deploys rapid-assessment teams via UNDAC and OSOCC within 12-48 hours, and manages multi-billion-dollar pooled funding mechanisms including CERF and Country-Based Pooled Funds. It operates global information platforms (ReliefWeb, Humanitarian Data Exchange, Financial Tracking Service) and chairs the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to ensure coherent humanitarian action across UN agencies, NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, and national governments.
Is UNOCHA a public or private company?
UNOCHA is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was UNOCHA founded?
UNOCHA was founded in 1991.
Where is UNOCHA based?
UNOCHA is headquartered in West New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does UNOCHA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Voluntary Contributions are the primary driver. The others are UN Regular Budget.
Who are UNOCHA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are World Food Programme (WFP), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), UNICEF, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Emerging players are UNFPA (UN Population Fund) and UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). Broad incumbents are World Health Organization (WHO) and UNDP (UN Development Programme).
Does UNOCHA have an API?
No public API is recorded for UNOCHA.
What industry is UNOCHA in?
UNOCHA's product category is Humanitarian Coordination Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADADAL, Humanitarian Coordination, Information Management & Needs Assessment, with a secondary code of BPADAAAA, United Nations System & Specialized Agencies. Its NAICS code is 6242 and its SIC code is 9721.