NEW YORK, 3rd November, 2026 (WAM) -- The United Nations has launched a new insurance scheme providing up to US$40 million in additional funding to help vulnerable households and communities protect their homes, food supplies and livelihoods before natural disasters strike, particularly when simultaneous emergencies strain available resources.

Led by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in partnership with UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP), the initiative aims to safeguard anticipatory humanitarian action during years of exceptionally high disaster risks and needs.

Under the scheme, OCHA allocates funding when forecasts indicate an approaching disaster. If demand exceeds an agreed threshold, insurers provide additional resources, enabling humanitarian organisations to reach more people before disaster strikes.

Gallagher Re structured and arranged the insurance coverage, with Liberty Mutual serving as lead insurer. The Centre for Disaster Protection provided independent technical advice.

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the scheme provides an additional line of defence to protect more people before conditions deteriorate, while improving the efficiency of available funding.

He stressed that disasters do not wait for institutions to be ready, underscoring the need for advance preparedness.

Anticipatory action enables families to purchase food and essential supplies, protect property or move to safer locations before disasters occur.

OCHA's US$150 million anticipatory action portfolio covers more than five million people. The new insurance mechanism will help protect these allocations during simultaneous disasters, reduce additional financial pressures on OCHA in exceptional years and extend early assistance to more communities.