United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Abbreviation	OCHA
Formation	19 December 1991; 32 years ago (1991-12-19)
Type	Secretariat office
Legal status	Active
Headquarters	New York, United States Geneva, Switzerland
Head	Martin Griffiths (Under-Secretary-General)
Website	www.unocha.org
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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters.^[1] It is the successor to the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).

The Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA) was established shortly thereafter by the Secretary-General, but in 1998, was merged into OCHA, which became the UN's main focal point on major disasters.^[2] OCHA's mandate was subsequently broadened to include coordinating humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy. Its activities include organizing and monitoring humanitarian funding, advocacy, policymaking, and information exchange to facilitate rapid-response teams for emergency relief.^[3]

OCHA is led by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG/ERC), appointed for a five-year term. Since July 2021, the role has been filled by Martin Griffiths of the United Kingdom.

OCHA organized the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey. It is a sitting observer in the United Nations Development Group.^[4]