The impact that SIDA members and their partners have had in responding to humanitarian emergencies with support from the Scottish Government has been highlighted in a new report.
The 2025/2026 Annual Report for the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), published on 28th August, shows that £1.4million supported nearly 64,000 people in six of the world’s most vulnerable countries. The fund was set up by the Scottish Government in 2017 to ensure that its humanitarian funding is used effectively and transparently. The HEF has awarded a minimum of £1 million every year through an expert panel comprising representatives of eight Scottish humanitarian charities, and chaired by SIDA’s Chief Executive, Frances Guy.
A new video shows how HEF Panel members, including the British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief UK, Mercy Corps, Oxfam Scotland, Save the Children UK, SCIAF and Tearfund, have had an impact in crises that often don’t make the headlines.
The video was screened at a special discussion during the Beyond Borders International Festival, where Frances Guy was joined by UN Under Secretary General of Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths OBE, and acting Head of Oxfam Scotland, Katherine May, to discuss action to save lives and respond to overlooked global disasters in a time of polycrisis and shrinking aid budgets.
An article in the Herald newspaper quoted International Development Minister, Simita Kumar, saying:
“We are living through unpredictable shifts in global politics, making it all too easy to overlook the enormous humanitarian impact of war on the world’s most vulnerable communities.
“Millions of lives have for too long been blighted by poverty and inequality and are now being threatened by the accelerating impact of climate change.
“The Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF) has supported Scottish-based charities and their expert local partners to deliver the most appropriate life-saving support, not only for high profile disasters but also major crises that, despite their scale and impact, are all too often overlooked.”
The Scotsman featured case studies from Sudan, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.