The hidden humanitarian crises helped by Scotland's emergency fund

The Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) has been providing emergency funds for these regions when needed.

Instead of Scots, or others from western nations, flying out to help, the focus has been on providing local charities with support to deal with the issues in their areas including places such as Sudan, Afghanistan and Malawi. The funds provided by the HEF have been a massive help with the full report set to be released in time for World Humanitarian Day on August 19.

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Frances Guy is the Chair of the HEF Expert Panel, which provides advice to the Scottish Government on where the money needs best spent. She says this type of support is hugely helpful and increasingly vital with global humanitarian needs at record levels and international funding falling way short of what is needed.

She said: “The accelerating climate crisis and the dramatic increase of violent storms and drought is having a profound effect on the world’s most vulnerable countries and communities.  Combined with long running and more recent conflicts added to chronic poverty and inequality, the number of people who need emergency humanitarian aid is at an all-time high – the latest figure from the UN is over 300 million. Sadly, the money currently available to help falls way short of what is needed and that deficit is likely to increase.

“Against this backdrop, Scottish based charities can only do so much but with the support of the Scottish Government they are making a significant difference, - together they have saved and helped rebuild the lives of around three quarters of a million people in nine countries over the past twelve months alone.”

“HEF member charities are working collaboratively to change the way they work around the world.  The days of flying Scottish staff and aid supplies into affected countries is long gone. Great effort is now put into making sure the communities affected are fully involved in deciding the type of support that is provided whilst also ensuring it reaches those who need it most - whether that is people with disabilities affected by climate change, or vulnerable women with babies or young children, or the elderly and infirm unable to flee from conflict.

“We take great pride in the difference we have been able to make and thank the Scottish Government and the wider public for continuing to support this essential work.  Despite all the challenges here at home just now, we urge everyone to do what they can to make sure these communities are not forgotten.”

Here, we look at how the fund has been helping people around the world.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan is one of the hardest places in the world for charities to operate. That is partly down to the political situation that has been ongoing over recent years but also because of the weather extremes and harsh terrain.

A massive earthquake hit the country in October 2023 with a magnitude of 6.3 and since then, SCIAF have been working with partners in the region to help some of its most vulnerable people. That is helped by the Scottish Government’s HEF with SCIAF receiving £125,000 to help.

The epicentre quake was in rural Herat and destroyed or damaged more than 7,000 homes. Temperatures in the long, harsh winters in Afghanistan can see temperatures plunge as low as -21°C. It means a lot of the money is spent on clothing, warm bedding, tents, cooking equipment, heaters and fuel.

SCIAF Chief Executive Lorraine Currie said: “I know it’s an astonishingly complicated area in which to respond. As part of the Caritas network, SCIAF has partners all over the world, so when disaster strikes, we can get help to those who need it within days.

“Winter in rural, remote Afghanistan is hugely challenging and is another reason why the need was so great.”

(Image: SCIAF)

Zambia

Climate change is causing major problems in the Southern African country of Zambia. They have an increasing issue with rain where they either have too much or too little. SCIAF works there too and received £250k in funding from the HEF to help.

They have mostly been working with households who have lost their crops and livestock and are now experiencing poor food security. Flood also caused a bridge to wash away that linked to the local school meaning kids, who were already struggling to go to school because of their hunger, found it even harder.

SCIAF work with their partners in the region through Caritas Kabwe and Caritas Mongu. More than 1,000 families in the region have been given a ‘lifeline’ relief from hunger in the form of food and cash transfers, which are becoming an increasingly important form of humanitarian aid.

Training was also provided to small-scale farmers in sustainable, organic agriculture to help them adjust.

Sudan

Adugk Owitti has been helped (Image: Oxfam/Liban Hailu)

The conflict in South Sudan has forced people to leave the region and flee elsewhere. They make their way to refugee camps in neighbouring countries but it’s a long and risky journey, and even when they get there it is difficult. One of those camps is in Ethiopia’s Gambella Region, which shelters around 380,000 people.

Adugk Owitti is one of those having fled with her four children and it took her five days of walking to do it, and she did it all with a disability. The 35-year-old is an example of how local aid is vital and help with money and food is the most important thing.

“Food was really hard to find,” Aduk explained. “My children suffered a lot with no meals, and they faced a lot of difficulty. During that time, I tried to help my family by gathering and selling firewood and making local alcohol to earn money.

“Before, I used to sell firewood to buy jerrycans for water. Now, Oxfam has provided us with jerrycans and soap, easing the burden of daily survival.” Many refugees have lacked such basic essentials for years. 

Adugk is just one of the refugees who have benefitted from the support provided by Oxfam as a result of a £125,000 funding boost from the HEF.

That has allowed funding to upgrade and repair water supplies and support community-led sanitation initiatives.

That includes 100 new latrines and vital supplies such as 300 menstrual hygiene kits, 500 ‘WASH’ kits of two jerry cans and five bars of soap each.

They have been providing help there since 2014, but they may have to pull out of some camps in the next six months if no new funds are made available and sparking further disaster for the refugee crisis.

Malawi

Malawi is another country where climate change is causing problems. Malawi has been hit hard by it and more than half the population currently lives in poverty. Extreme weather is pushing people to the bring with flash floods wrecking crops, decimating livestock and forcing people to move.

Christian Aid works there, as well as in South Sudan and Ethiopia, and has been helped by the HEF. £250,000 was provided and enabled Christian Aid’s partner in the region, Churches Action in Relief Development, to provide 3,100 families with cash grants. The region of Mwanza, where the funds were distributed, has suffered from prolonged droughts. As well as the cash grants, the money allowed them to repair latrines, support projects and provide seeds and tools to enable people to stay on their land.

Chipo Kachiwala, Christian Aid’s Programme Funding and Development Manager, explained: “The cash grants have allowed people the freedom to buy food, with some people wisely using some of the money for sweet potato vines and seeds, so they can grow vegetables. This strategic investment enables them to cultivate nutritious produce, which they can either consume or sell to address immediate needs, particularly as hunger looms over the district in the coming months.”