Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees collaborates with hundreds of NGOs to help carry out the agency's principal mandate – protecting refugees. Questions and answers on NGO Partnerships in Refugee Protection give further details.

Between them, NGOs provide an array of services for vulnerable people including immediate relief – food, water and shelter – as well as legal assistance, education and health care.

Annually, UNHCR channels 20% – 25% of its entire budget through more than 500 NGOs in some 1,000 contracts world wide. The cooperation agreements include assisting refugees and other persons of concern in the areas of health, nutrition, water supply, sanitation, community development, education, and site construction and maintenance.

UNHCR also cooperates with NGOs through emergency response and standby agreements, protection capacity, joint training, advocacy and fund-raising. Some NGOs undertake refugee-related activities largely or entirely with funds from other donors, while nevertheless working in coordination with UNHCR. In other cases, the refugee agency cooperates with NGOs and other donors to secure rehabilitation or development funding for longer-term projects which benefit a wider community as well as refugees returning to their homeland.

UNHCR maintains close working relations with numerous NGO coordinating bodies, including the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR), InterAction (American Council for Voluntary International Action), the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), and Voluntary Organizations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE). The refugee agency participates regularly in a number of NGO forums, conferences and discussion groups that exert a considerable influence on the evolution of UNHCR policies, standards and guidelines.