Hundreds of millions of extra dollars would be released for relief and reconstruction in war-affected Ukraine if aid programs were delivered by local organizations, according to a study of the world’s largest pooled fund.
The projects currently in local hands are 15.5% more cost-efficient than those administered by international bodies — because of lower overhead and salary costs — the analysis based on a sample of 30% of budgets found.
The estimated benefit from this shift to lower local rates is $5.5 million of the $35.8 million of devolved funding within the 2023 Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, according to The Share Trust, the social enterprise behind the study.