The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crisis. With its partners, OCHA contributes to principled and effective humanitarian response through coordination, advocacy, policy, information management and humanitarian financing tools and services.

OCHA was established by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182 (1991) as a core part of the United Nations Secretariat. Its 2,200 staff members are working at the headquarters based in New York and Geneva as well as in over 60 locations worldwide. Japan is an important partner to OCHA, supporting its activities around the world.

The need for humanitarian action continues to increase throughout the world, due to frequently occurring large-scale disasters as well as prolonged and recurring internal or regional conflicts.

OCHA is responsible for analysing and sharing needs, raising humanitarian funds through the issuing of humanitarian appeals and coordinating with governments, UN agencies, the Red Cross, NGOs and other organisations to ensure that humanitarian assistance is efficient, effective and in line with humanitarian principles during natural disasters, conflicts and other humanitarian crises. OCHA plays a central role in coordination to ensure that the international emergency humanitarian assistance system functions better as a whole.

OCHA was established in 1991. OCHA has enjoyed strong ties with Japan, with Yasushi Akashi serving as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs from 1996-98 and the late Kenzo Oshima as UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs from 2001-03. The OCHA Kobe Office also works to strengthen partnerships with the Japanese Government, UN agencies in Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), NGOs, the private sector and others, and to promote dissemination and understanding of humanitarian issues in Japan.

We value years of collaboration and support from Japan — the Government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), NGOs, the Japanese Red Cross, researchers, the private sector and individual citizens. We remain committed to enhancing and strengthening our long-standing partnership with Japan. OCHA will continue to work closely with the Government of Japan and the people of Japan to ensure crisis-affected people receive the assistance and protection they need.