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Humanitarian policy and partnerships

Australian Humanitarian Partnership

The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) is a strategic ten-year (2017-2027) partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Australian Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The AHP is delivering more effective, innovative and collaborative humanitarian assistance by enabling Australia to leverage the expertise and global reach of Australian NGOs to respond to disasters and protracted crises in our region and beyond.

The program helps to save lives and alleviate suffering by supporting partner countries, local organisations, and communities to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and other humanitarian crises. The AHP meets these objectives by focusing efforts on disaster response, disaster preparedness and resilience.

The AHP has responded to rapid and protracted crises in the Pacific, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Since 2017, AHP partners have reached more than 10.1 million people through 60 responses across 32 countries, from cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and drought through to conflict and economic crisis.  Almost half the people aided were women and children. AHP response activities have covered a wide range of sectors, including water, sanitation and hygiene; education in emergencies; emergency shelter and humanitarian supplies; healthcare, including for vaccination, maternal, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health; food security and economic livelihoods; logistics support; gender-based violence and child protection services; targeted disability services and inclusion programs; cash based programming; and longer-term recovery. 

Disaster READY

Through the Disaster READY program, the AHP also has a specific focus on strengthening locally-led disaster preparedness and humanitarian response in the Pacific and Timor-Leste. Overall, $100 million is being invested (2017-2027) to support communities, local civil society actors and governments across the region to manage disasters more effectively. This includes ensuring that women, youth, children, people living with disabilities, and other at-risk groups are better prepared for and more resilient to disasters and climate change.

 

Group photo of graduates from the Disaster READY-supported Emergency Response Training.
Graduates of a Disaster READY-supported Emergency Response Training (ERT) course show off their certificates in Malaita, Solomon Islands. The course was the first time the province’s disaster office has directly trained community members in ERT. Credit: Ernest Ta’asi, Oxfam in the Pacific.

DFAT has partnered with six peak Australian NGOs and their consortium partners to deliver on these priorities:

  • CARE Australia
  • Caritas Australia (leading the Church Agency Network Disaster Operations, or CAN DO, Consortium)
  • Oxfam Australia
  • Plan International Australia
  • Save the Children Australia
  • World Vision Australia

 

Group of Bangladesh youth sitting down in discussion.
Youth undertake peer-led education activities at the Poshchim Sonar Para adolescent center, Jalyapalong (host community), Bangladesh. The centre is run by World Vision through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response in Bangladesh and supports youth to develop life skills, access informal education and socialise. Credit: AHP Bangladesh Consortium.

The AHP has been subject to a AHP Mid-Term Evaluation (2020) and Management Response (2021). The current phase of the program is guided by the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Phase II Investment Design Document.

More information is available on the AHP website.

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