Humanitarian Emergency Fund – The NEN

Humanitarian aid for Malawi

Two charities are to receive funding to help people in Malawi facing food shortages as a result of prolonged dry spells and widespread flooding.

Tearfund and SCIAF will receive £400,000, which will be split equally between them and delivered through Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) to help address the humanitarian crisis which has seen widespread crop failure and livestock losses as a result of the climate-shocks.

The funding will allow the two charities to distribute cash to people in the affected areas to meet their immediate food and basic needs. It will also allow the charities to deliver training on cholera prevention, safe water usage and hygiene practices to combat the risk of cholera.

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The widespread flooding has killed and displaced many people and exacerbated ongoing food insecurity for millions of people.

“This funding will help support people and businesses directly at a local level – where it is needed – by empowering them to buy food and supplies.”

SCIAF’s Chief Executive Lorraine Currie said: “We secured this funding to support Malawian families suffering from the combined challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, and climate-related shocks.

“Since the onset of rains in November 2025, the country has been hit by floods, leading to deaths, displaced families, and damage to crops.

“A number of households are experiencing malnutrition, particularly children under five, and pregnant and breastfeeding mums. These people urgently require immediate, life-saving assistance to prevent a catastrophe.

“This funding comes at a time when many governments are turning their backs on people suffering from hunger, poverty and injustice around the world. Scotland continues to be a good global citizen. The funding means that we can reach out to over 3100 families with cash grants and much needed high-calorific food such as fortified corn soy blend. It’s literally a life-saver.”

Vincent Moyo, Tearfund Country Director for Malawi, said: “Communities in Nkhotakota are facing an extremely difficult and uncertain period. Repeated flooding and prolonged dry spells have destroyed crops, reduced incomes, and pushed many families to the brink as the lean season intensifies.

“With very limited assistance currently reaching these areas, households are being forced to skip meals and sell the little household assets they have just to survive.

“This project will provide a vital lifeline at a critical moment – enabling families to meet their most urgent food and basic needs with dignity, while also reducing the risk of cholera through targeted health and hygiene awareness.

“It will help stabilise households’ livelihoods now and prevent an even deeper crisis in the months ahead.”

First Minister John Swinney receives cake from Islamic Relief UK to support Syria campaign

First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney received a chocolate cake from Islamic Relief UK yesterday as part of the charity’s Cake Campaign, which raises funds for Syria during Ramadan.

Islamic Relief’s UK Programme Manager, Nadeem Baqir, presented the cake to the First Minister at Bute House in Edinburgh and personally thanked him for the Scottish Government’s generous support for Islamic Relief’s work.

The Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) has worked closely with Islamic Relief UK to help deliver lifesaving relief to families across the world.

Last year in Sudan, with support from HEF, Islamic Relief reached more than 7,000 people with cash assistance, food and dignity kits. Thousands more have been supported to rebuild their lives with the support of the Scottish Government in places such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Kenya and Libya.

The Cake Campaign is celebrating 13 years of selling cakes and saving lives. Since 2013, more than £3m has been raised, helping to save and transform the lives of thousands of Syrian people.

Syrian families continue to struggle to rebuild their lives amid widespread destruction and food shortages. The situation remains dire, with millions of people still displaced and enduring extreme hardships.

The award-winning Cake Campaign sees volunteers across the UK raising funds for people affected by the Syria crisis by delivering cakes during the sacred month of Ramadan.

First Minister John Swinney said: “I am delighted to support Islamic Relief’s Cake Campaign – an inspiring initiative to raise funds to help people in Syria who are still suffering from the impacts of conflict and displacement.

“Scotland has a long history of supporting responses to global humanitarian crises, and we will continue to do so. Through our Humanitarian Emergency Fund, the Scottish Government supports humanitarian organisations including Islamic Relief to carry out vital work to provide support including food, medical care and shelter to people affected by conflict, climate change and natural disasters.”

Nadeem Baqir, UK programme manager for Islamic Relief UK said: “We are delighted to have delivered a cake to the First Minister as part of the Cake Campaign. This initiative is crucial in providing vital aid, offering hope, and standing in solidarity with the Syrian people during their time of need.

“The Scottish government has always been supportive of international development. We are extremely grateful to the First Minister, John Swinney, and the Scottish Government for their generous funding for Islamic Relief’s work in places such as Sudan, where more than 7,000 people received cash assistance, food and dignity kits last year.”

“This generosity also helped more than 7,000 people in Kenya who were affected by devastating floods in 2024, as well as transforming many other lives in humanitarian emergencies in Libya and Somalia.

“We hope the First Minister enjoys his cake!”

Helping crisis-hit communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Scotland’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund activated

Oxfam Scotland and Tearfund have welcomed Scottish Government funding to deliver life-saving humanitarian aid in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where millions of people face hunger, insecurity and the devastating impacts of violence and forced displacement.

Since January, more than three million people in the DRC have been forced to flee their homes as fighting by armed groups intensifies and humanitarian needs increase exponentially, triggering one of the world’s most urgent and complex crises.

The £250,000 provided through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) will be distributed to Oxfam Scotland and Tearfund, and through local partners, to support emergency relief efforts across eastern DRC – helping families pay for essentials such as food, fuel, shelter or hygiene items, as well as accessing urgent medical care, trauma services and safe transport.

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on a scale we can hardly imagine here in Scotland. Successive waves of violence are claiming the lives of civilians, including children, with millions forced to flee to temporary accommodation where conditions are deteriorating.

“The situation is being worsened by the scaling back of humanitarian assistance by other international donors.

“While our funding may only make a small impact in the face of such overwhelming need, we are determined to stand behind our values and Scotland’s long and proud history of responding to humanitarian crises around the world.”

Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam Scotland’s Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said: “Every day, our partners and colleagues are meeting mothers who’ve walked for miles with nothing but their children in their arms, desperately searching for safety.

“They’ve lost everything: their homes, their loved ones, their hope of a normal life. The scale of human suffering here is staggering.

“The recent cuts to humanitarian funding have been devastating. We’ve had to make impossible choices about who gets clean water, medicine, or even a place to sleep.

“That’s why support from the Scottish Government is so vital. With our local partner, it’s helping us reach people who would otherwise be left with nothing. But with millions still in desperate need, we urgently need other governments and donors to follow Scotland’s lead. Now is the time to step up, not step back.”

Poppy Anguandia, Tearfund’s Country Director for the DRC, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this vital funding, which arrives at a critical time for communities in North Kivu.

“The intensification of conflict has led to widespread displacement and immense suffering, with many returnees in Malehe finding their homes destroyed and livelihoods lost.

“This support will enable us to provide immediate, life-saving assistance where it’s needed most, directly addressing urgent needs for food and basic essentials for 925 conflict-affected households through multipurpose cash assistance, while also tackling the alarming rise in gender-based violence for 9,000 individuals through community awareness and support sessions.”

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) is an annual £1 million fund provided by the Scottish Government to respond to overseas humanitarian emergencies.

Scotland announces £350,000 drought relief for Southern Africa

Aid for communities suffering worst drought in a century

Thousands of drought-affected households in Zambia and Zimbabwe will receive support from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund.

Christian Aid and the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) will each receive £175,000 to enable both charities to provide cash to communities to meet their immediate basic needs, including food and safe drinking water.

SCIAF will support 1,530 households in Zambia with cash transfers of 600 kwacha, equivalent to £17 a month. Christian Aid will provide cash transfers to 562 drought-affected household in Zimbabwe and promote services that work to prevent gender-based violence, which can increase during times of instability following major disasters.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Between a record drought exacerbated by the climate crisis and ongoing cholera outbreaks, the current situation in Southern Africa looks very bleak.

“This funding will ensure people in some of the hardest hit communities can put food on their families’ tables, buy basic essentials, and safe drinking water – which is critical to prevent further spread of cholera.

“Scotland must fulfil its role as a good global citizen and a big part of that is supporting those who have contributed the least to climate change, through the worst of its effects.”

SCIAF Chief Executive Lorraine Currie said: “Right now, people in Zambia and neighbouring countries in Africa are at crisis point, with failed harvest after failed harvest.

“The root cause is climate change, which is ravaging the region. It’s making weather patterns more extreme with more intense, more frequent droughts, floods, and heat waves. Rural areas, where most people farm to feed themselves are the hardest hit.

“This funding from the Scottish Government will literally save lives. Working through our local partners, we will make sure the most vulnerable people are reached with cash grants which will give them the freedom to quickly buy what their families need to survive. These are our sisters and brothers and we will not forget them.”

Christian Aid’s Zimbabwe Country Director Aulline Chapisa said: “We’re deeply grateful for the Scottish Government’s commitment and support. This funding will enable 562 vulnerable households to access essential food items and will be delivered by our local partner the Zimbabwe Council of Churches. It will also help to significantly reduce levels of gender-based violence by improving access to information and support services.

“Sadly we know that during times of crisis and food insecurity cases of domestic violence increase. Additionally, with extra funding from Christian Aid, we’ll be improving access to safe water supplies and supporting people to diversify their means of earning a living. Ultimately this project is about life saving food assistance and building resilience and wellbeing in these communities.”

£250,000 Humanitarian Emergency Funding for Kenya

Emergency funding to support people affected by severe flooding in Kenya

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson has pledged funding of £250,000 to aid charities responding to those affected by the severe flooding in Kenya through the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).

Oxfam and Islamic Relief will receive £125,000 each to support thousands of families affected by the flooding with their immediate basic needs, including food, shelter and clean water. The funding will also support services to raise awareness and prevent gender-based violence.

Nearly 1.6 million people across East Africa have been affected by recent heavy rains, flash floods and landslides. In Kenya, 315 deaths have been reported and more than 58,000 families are estimated to have been displaced.

Mr Robertson said: “Our thoughts are with the families of those who have lost loved ones and the thousands of families whose homes have been substantially damaged by the severe flooding across Kenya.

“The £250,000 funding pledge to aid charities responding to the crisis through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to providing essential assistance to people in need.

“This funding will play an important role in addressing the immediate needs of those affected by the flooding, including helping to provide access to food, shelter and clean water.”

Oxfam in Kenya’s Humanitarian Lead Mat Cousins said: “The Scottish Government’s contribution is a lifeline for many families in Nairobi’s informal settlements who have lost everything to the floods.

“This funding will not only address immediate needs such as clean water and shelter but also provide crucial support for women and girls facing heightened risks of gender-based violence. We are grateful for this solidarity in such challenging times and hope it inspires other governments to provide similar life-saving support.”

Islamic Relief Regional Community Fundraising Manager Nadeem Baqir added: “This funding will serve as a vital lifeline for the many families impacted by Kenya’s flood crisis, aiding in the recovery and rebuilding of lives and livelihoods.

“The world’s most vulnerable communities are often the first to suffer from climate-related natural disasters, and we are thankful for the Scottish Government’s commitment to supporting those in greatest need.”

£250,000 for refugees fleeing conflict

Humanitarian emergency funding for displaced people in South Sudan and Ethiopia

International Development Minister Kaukab Stewart has pledged £250,000 in Scottish Government funding for charities responding to the ongoing conflict in Sudan and the impact on refugees in neighbouring countries.

Oxfam and Christian Aid will receive funds from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) to assist displaced people and their host communities in South Sudan and Ethiopia with food and essentials.

Since the onset of the war in neighbouring Sudan last year, South Sudan has witnessed an influx of over half a million people.

There are more than 930,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Ethiopia, over 385,000 are South Sudanese living in the Gambella region and facing challenges in meeting basic needs, leading to increasing cases of malnutrition and diarrhoea.

Ms Stewart said: “Our thoughts are with the thousands of refugees in South Sudan struggling to survive and facing a bleak and uncertain future.

“This funding will play a crucial role in addressing the immediate needs of those affected by conflict and the climate crisis, including access to shelter, food, clean water, and healthcare. It is imperative that we work with the international community to alleviate their suffering and help them rebuild their lives.

“The £250,000 funding pledge to aid charities responding to the crisis through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund demonstrates our commitment to providing essential assistance to people in need.”

Head of Christian Aid Scotland Val Brown said: “South Sudan is dealing with multiple shocks including acute food insecurity and one of the world’s largest displacement crises. In addition, many people have arrived in the country from neighbouring Sudan, fleeing the conflict that started last April.

“We’re grateful for funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund which will enable to us to reach 4000 people in the Wedweil Refugee Camp, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, so people can purchase food and essentials. There will also be additional cash assistance for 400 vulnerable women and girls to support their recovery and empowerment.”

Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland said: “The Scottish Government deserves significant credit for allocating its small, but vital humanitarian funding not just to high-profile emergencies like Gaza or Ukraine, but also to those crises that unfold well away from the world’s attention – and the refugee crisis resulting from the situation in South Sudan is a stark example.

“Importantly, Oxfam is not only ensuring that water and sanitation facilities in Gambella are safer and more accessible to women and girls, and people with disabilities, but also supporting local actors to take ownership over their ongoing maintenance.

“This twin approach of inclusive and locally-led humanitarian response, underpinned by safe programming, is critical to ensuring refugees get the critical support they need.”

The Humanitarian Emergency Fund provides aid in the aftermath of a crisis.

Scottish Government funding support to tackle hunger crisis in Africa

Grants totalling £250,000 are being given to two charities to assist people affected by the hunger crisis in Ethiopia and Somalia.

The region is facing its driest conditions in 40 years, with the impact on food supplies made worse by global grain supply disruption as a result of the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The funding comes from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), with half going to Christian Aid for their work in Ethiopia, including providing children and pregnant and breastfeeding women with supplementary nutrition.

Islamic Relief is receiving the remaining funding for their project in Somalia, which is delivering emergency assistance for victims of the drought, as well as improving water access and hygiene in four Internally Displaced People camps in Beledweyne District, near the Ethiopian border.

International Development Minister Neil Gray said: “The drought being experienced in the Horn of Africa is creating a desperate situation for people in the region that is being made worse by grain supply disruption caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“We know that millions of people are facing historic drought conditions and a lack of essential food supplies and we stand ready to act in the face of such a pressing emergency.

“The Scottish Government is committed to fulfilling its role as a responsible and compassionate global citizen and this aid from our Humanitarian Emergency Fund will provide essential help to those in desperate need.”

Head of Christian Aid Scotland Sally Foster-Fulton said: “A prolonged drought and four failed rainy seasons means – yet again – crops cannot grow and this is having a devastating impact on the people of Ethiopia – in addition to the challenges of conflict, COVID-19 and rising food costs.

“Children and women are impacted the most, and many children are showing signs of malnourishment. We are grateful to the Scottish Government for supporting our work in South Omo, southern Ethiopia, where we will ensure the most vulnerable receive money to buy the food they need to survive.”

Nadeem Baqir, Scotland Regional Manager for Islamic Relief UK, said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s support for our work in Somalia which comes at a critical time and will help us to ensure more families get the food and hygiene kits they need.

“Somalia has been hit by failed rains for the fourth year in a row resulting in yet another devastating drought. This has exacerbated the growing hunger crisis alongside the impacts of COVID-19 and the increasing costs of food.

“Across the country, millions of people are in dire need of food assistance and clean water to ensure their survival. Families who have been displaced and are now living in camps do not have enough to eat and in some cases are having to share the little they receive as there just isn’t enough for everyone.”

“A tragedy is engulfing Afghanistan”

Both UK and Scottish Governments provide humanitarian aid

The UK Government will be releasing up to £30 million of life-saving aid to Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries to help those who choose to leave Afghanistan as part of the Government’s efforts to support regional stability.

£10 million will be made available immediately to humanitarian partners, such as the UNHCR, to enable essential supplies such as shelters to be despatched to the Afghan borders as well as setting up sanitation and hygiene facilities.

A further £20 million will be allocated to countries that experience a significant increase in refugees to support reception and registration facilities and provide essential services and supplies.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “It is vital that we help those fleeing Afghanistan and do not allow the crisis there to undermine regional stability.

“That’s why these life-saving supplies are so important. They will provide Afghans who have left everything behind with essential kit offering shelter and basic sanitation as they seek to pick up the pieces of their lives. This aid demonstrates the UK’s commitment to shoulder our humanitarian responsibility and support those countries who will face the greatest demands for those displaced.”

This is the first tranche of the additional funding, announced by the Prime Minister in response to the crisis when he doubled the UK’s aid contribution to Afghanistan to £286 million this year.

The security and political instability in Afghanistan has compounded an already dire humanitarian situation for the Afghan population with 550,000 people displaced within Afghanistan since the start of the year and significant increases in refugees moving across Afghanistan’s borders in recent weeks.

The UNHCR estimates a worst case scenario of over 500,000 refugees fleeing the country to Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in the coming months.

The disbursement of aid comes as the Foreign Secretary continues his visit to the region for talks on Afghanistan with the focus on securing safe passage for UK nationals and eligible Afghans as well as the Government’s four international priorities – preventing Afghanistan becoming a haven for terrorists; responding to the humanitarian plight; safeguarding regional stability; and holding the Taliban to account on human rights.

The UK announced the uplift in aid to Afghanistan on 18 August 2021, bringing UK funding for this year to £286 million here.
The UK’s total aid contribution to the country since 2001 is now around £3.5 billion.

Scotland commits £250,000 for urgent aid

Critical help for the people of Afghanistan worth £250,000 is to be made available from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF).

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson, who led a Hplyrood debate yesterday on the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Afghanistan, said the funds will be dedicated to aid those in peril and need.

The Scottish Government is in close contact with the charities involved in the HEF to determine how support can be delivered safely and effectively.

The announcement follows the commitment by the Scottish Government to play its full part in the resettlement of Afghan refugees.

The Scottish Government also continues to call on the UK Government to provide further details of the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme as soon as possible.

Mr Robertson said: “We have all been moved by the current crisis in Afghanistan and stand ready to help those in need at this critical time.

“We have activated the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund and this £250,000 will provide crucial help to those desperately in need in the midst of this harrowing crisis. And this is additional to the financial commitment the Scottish people already make to the UK’s aid budget through tax contributions.

“The UK Government has said that its aid to Afghanistan will be doubled, and that is a step in the right direction – but ultimately amounts to nothing more than a reversal of previous major cuts to aid to Afghanistan.

“A tragedy is engulfing Afghanistan. We are ready and willing to play our part – Scotland will not only provide humanitarian assistance, but is committed to playing a full role in assisting, and welcoming, the resettlement and relocation of Afghans at risk.”

From Scotland with love: support for aid projects in war-torn countries

People being impacted by three separate conflicts are to be assisted by emergency aid from the Scottish Government. A total of £300,000 from the Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) has been made available to help alleviate suffering in Syria, Yemen and South Sudan / northern Uganda, with up to £100,000 allocated to each of the three crises. Continue reading From Scotland with love: support for aid projects in war-torn countries

Scotland sends support to South Asia

The Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund is distributing £300,000 to help support people left homeless following floods that ravaged South Asia. Severe monsoon rains have affected 40 million people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. More than 1,200 people are known to have died. Continue reading Scotland sends support to South Asia