disaster
World: The state of international humanitarian funding to local and national actors, May 2026
By ODI - Humanitarian Policy Group at ReliefWeb
· June 8, 2026
· 3 min read
. Increasing funding to local and national actors (LNAs) is one of the core humanitarian reform areas of the last decade. The Grand Bargain set out a collective commitment of 25% of humanitarian funding going to LNAs. Through combining data from different UN agencies and the Red Cross, this report e
Key takeaway The Grand Bargain set out a collective commitment of 25% of humanitarian funding going to LNAs.
Why this matters
The persistent shortfall in international humanitarian funding to local and national actors raises concerns about the effectiveness and sustainability of disaster relief efforts. With only 10% of funding reaching local actors, the sector falls far short of the Grand Bargain target of 25%. This disparity is particularly striking given that country-based pooled funds have shown that higher percentages of funding to local actors are achievable, with 55% of funding going directly or indirectly to local actors in 2025. The limited absorption capacity of these funds, however, highlights the need for more strategic and targeted support. Furthermore, the lack of transparency and inconsistent reporting practices among UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations hinder accountability and make it difficult to track progress towards localization targets. To address these challenges, the recommendation for OCHA to publish time-bound roadmaps for achieving localization targets is a crucial step towards increasing funding to local and national actors and ultimately enhancing the impact of humanitarian relief efforts.
About this story
Original reporting by ReliefWeb . Christgiving surfaces reporting from trusted publishers and adds local editorial context so readers can quickly understand what a story means for their community. We attribute every source, link to the original report, and follow a documented editorial standards policy. To understand how stories are selected and reviewed, read our about page .
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Category: disaster ·
Published: June 8, 2026 ·
Source: ReliefWeb ·
Reading time: 3 min
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Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? . Increasing funding to local and national actors (LNAs) is one of the core humanitarian reform areas of the last decade. The Grand Bargain set out a collective commitment of 25% of humanitarian funding going to LNAs. Through combining data from different UN agencies and the Red Cross, this report e
When was this published? This article was first published on June 8, 2026 by ReliefWeb and curated for Christgiving readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by ODI - Humanitarian Policy Group at ReliefWeb. To learn more about how Christgiving selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more disaster coverage from Christgiving, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .