Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) Operational Manual, Version 1 (June 2025)

Introduction

1.1. Purpose and scope of the Operational Manual

1. This Operation Manual of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) should be read in conjunction with the CBPF Global Guidelines, which set out the global minimum standards applicable to all of OCHA’s Countrybased Pooled Funds (CBPFs). The Global Guidelines ensure a coherent and harmonised approach to the governance and operations of CBPFs. Annexes referred to in this manual can be found on the OCHA website. This manual deviates only from the CBPF Global Guidelines when the local context requires.

2. The AHF Operational Manual builds on the Global Guidelines and describes the specific arrangements appropriate to the country context. This manual sets out arrangements that enhance the quality of AHF practices and its accountability to stakeholders, including United Nations (UN) Member States, donors, humanitarian operational partners (hereafter referred to as ‘partners’), and people affected by disasters and emergencies.

3. The primary user of this Operational Manual is the OCHA Country Office in Afghanistan, in particular the Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU), which supports and manages the AHF. The manual describes the roles and responsibilities of the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC); OCHA; partners, including UN agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs);1 coordination platforms, including sectors/clusters; and other stakeholders2.

4. The AHF is managed by OCHA at the country level. While the Fund is required to align practices with the Global Guidelines, it retains the flexibility to build upon the minimum standards and adopt additional provisions to best meet the demands of Afghanistan’s context. Where humanitarian objectives and operational requirements require deviation from minimum standards for financial and risk management,3 the HC may request approval of an exceptional waiver by OCHA’s Executive Officer (EO) – which will be considered in light of the corresponding justification and risk management implications.

1.2. Goal of the AHF

5. The AHF is a multi-donor humanitarian financing instrument established by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC)/ Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (USG), managed by OCHA Afghanistan under the leadership of the HC in consultation with the humanitarian community. The AHF, that was established in 2014, aims to enable swift and needs-based humanitarian action in Afghanistan. It is rooted in the 2005 Humanitarian Reform and the Secretary-General’s report “In larger freedom”,4 which calls for predictable and flexible humanitarian funding to meet the needs of at-risk communities. Humanitarian financing, including pooled fund management, is one of OCHA’s core functions. In addition to the AHF, OCHA Afghanistan manages Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocations, ensuring complementarity between the two funding mechanisms. Saving Lives and Alleviating Suffering

6. The core mandate of the AHF is to allocate funding to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity based on humanitarian needs and priorities identified at the country level. By providing timely, coordinated, and principled assistance, AHF enhances the effectiveness and accountability of the humanitarian response.

7. The AHF promotes partnership and diversity in humanitarian efforts by supporting a variety of humanitarian organizations with resources to contribute to the response, and their engagement in Fund governance. The AHF identifies best-placed partners, be they local, national or international NGOs, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (RC/RC) Movement, or UN agencies, to deliver prioritized humanitarian action on the ground. Localization