The Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) is a new five-year (2017-2022), $50-million partnership between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Australian NGOs that aims to save lives, alleviate suffering and enhance human dignity during and in the aftermath of conflict, disasters and other humanitarian crises. The AHP also provides a new strategic initiative (Disaster READY) to strengthen disaster preparedness and management across the Pacific and Timor Leste.

DFAT has partnered with six peak Australian NGOs and their consortium partners:

• CARE Australia – Partnering with Live & Learn
• Save the Children Australia
• Caritas Australia – Lead consortium partner in the Church Agencies Network Disaster Operations (CAN DO) network. CAN DO brings together Caritas Australia, Act for Peace, Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Anglican Board of Mission, Anglican Overseas Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Transform Aid International and Uniting World
• Plan International Australia – Partnering with ActionAid, ChildFund Australia, International Medical Corps UK, CBM Australia and Australian Volunteers International
• OXFAM Australia – Partnering with ABC International Development, CBM Australia and Habitat for Humanity Australia
• World Vision Australia – Partnering with Habitat for Humanitarian Australia, Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), CBM Australia and Field Ready

Disaster READY will strengthen local humanitarian capability in the Pacific and Timor-Leste so that communities are better prepared for and able to manage and respond to rapid and slow onset disasters. This includes ensuring that women, people with disabilities, youth and children’s rights and needs are being met in disaster preparedness and response at all levels. Additionally that government, NGOs, the private sector and communities coordinate more effectively for inclusive disaster preparedness and response and national NGOs and churches have more influence and capacity in the country humanitarian system.

The partnership will deliver on three key priorities:

• Helping communities receive timely and high quality humanitarian assistance, including rebuilding efforts.
• Strengthening humanitarian capabilities in the Pacific to better prepare for, respond to and reduce risks from natural hazards. This will help Pacific communities to be more resilient to the impacts of natural hazards.
• Strengthening the DFAT- Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Humanitarian Reference Group (HRG) partnership to enable the Australian Government, Australian NGOs and their local partners to work together more effectively.

In addition, the AHP will play a key crisis response function, able to be rapidly mobilised to provide effective, life-saving support to rapid, protracted and slow-onset crises around the world.