In brief
UN's new insurance scheme, led by OCHA with UNICEF and WFP, activates when forecasts flag imminent risk. If demand exceeds a threshold, insurers such as Gallagher Re and Liberty Mutual step in, allowing humanitarian agencies to reach more people ahead of disasters. Tom Fletcher says it adds an extra line of defence for anticipatory action.
New York, November 3, 2026 – In a move to give communities a financial cushion before weather disasters strike, the United Nations announced a new insurance scheme on Monday that could unlock up to US$40 million for anticipatory humanitarian action. The initiative, led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in partnership with UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), is designed to help vulnerable households and communities protect homes, food supplies and livelihoods when simultaneous emergencies threaten to squeeze limited resources.
Background
The scheme follows OCHA’s US$150 million anticipatory action portfolio, which covers more than five million people across the globe in years of exceptionally high disaster risk. By providing an additional line of funding, UN officials hope to enable humanitarian organisations to reach more people before conditions deteriorate.
Tom Fletcher, UN Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the new mechanism “provides an additional line of defence to protect more people before conditions deteriorate, while improving the efficiency of available funding.” He added that “disasters do not wait for institutions to be ready, underscoring the need for advance preparedness.”
How the scheme operates
Under the new insurance framework, OCHA allocates money when independent forecasts predict an approaching disaster. If demand for the early‑action funds exceeds a predetermined threshold, insurers step in to supply extra resources. Gallagher Re handled the structuring and arrangement of the insurance coverage, while Liberty Mutual serves as the lead insurer. The Centre for Disaster Protection provides independent technical advice throughout the process.
With the added pay‑in, humanitarian agencies can pre‑purchase food, secure property, or even move people to safer locations before a storm, flood or other disaster arrives. The goal is to reduce the impact of simultaneous emergencies that strain programmes and to extend early assistance to more communities.
While the UN has not yet listed specific regions where the scheme will be active, the policy is crafted to activate universally whenever risk forecasts call for anticipatory action. The partnership between OCHA, UNICEF, WFP, Gallagher Re, Liberty Mutual and the Centre for Disaster Protection illustrates a coordinated effort to make disaster preparation more effective and resilient.
