GFFO

The Humanitarian Assistance Division of the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO, Auswärtiges Amt) has funded international humanitarian response since the 1990s, positioning Germany as a top-five global humanitarian donor. It does not implement programmes directly but provides grant funding to qualified NGOs, UN entities, and the ICRC/IFRC movement. GFFO is known for multi-year, flexible funding arrangements and emphasis on humanitarian principles — humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.

Germany has been one of Ukraine’s most consistent bilateral humanitarian supporters since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. GFFO has funded partners such as CARE Deutschland to provide health, WASH, shelter, protection, and MHPSS services across conflict-affected oblasts including Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. The CARE Ukraine GFFO-funded programme — covering SRH and GBV support — is one illustration of this sustained commitment. The division’s overall humanitarian budget was significantly reduced in 2025 (approximately 53% below 2024 levels), increasing competition for remaining allocations and making demonstrated impact essential for continued funding.

The German Federal Foreign Office – Humanitarian Assistance Division (Auswärtiges Amt, Referat 603) is Germany’s primary government body for funding emergency humanitarian response globally. It channels grants to UN agencies, the Red Cross, and NGOs for immediate life-saving assistance in conflict and disaster settings, with a strong emphasis on principled, needs-based humanitarian action.

Ukraine Commitment

A major bilateral humanitarian donor to Ukraine since 2022, funding multi-sector responses including health, WASH, protection, and MHPSS through partners such as CARE Deutschland; overall GFFO humanitarian budget was cut by approximately 53% in 2025 versus 2024, making strategic prioritization critical.