ISWAN administers the Piracy Survivor Family Fund on behalf of the United Nations Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) for seafarers and families who have been affected by Somali piracy. Applications are encouraged from any seafarer, seafarers’ welfare organisation, or seafarers’ families, where Somali piracy has caused hardship.

Thousands of seafarers have been held hostage by pirates and most shipping companies have ensured that the seafarers and their families do not suffer financially as a result of piracy, on top of the trauma of attack and captivity. However, in some cases companies have become bankrupt as a result of the piracy, or left seafarers and families otherwise unsupported, leading to additional suffering, hardship and trauma for the seafarers' families during the period of captivity, and homecomings to impoverished families and no support for reemployment or rehabilitation.

The PSFF fulfils a crucial role in the rehabilitation of survivors of Somali piracy, supporting seafarers and their families who have received no or only very limited support since their attack.

Applications for the PSFF may be submitted by a welfare organisation or in person by the seafarer or family, by email to iswan@iswan.org.uk.

The application process is exactly the same as for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Fund (MPHRF); however, this fund is limited to seafarers and their families affected by piracy off the coast of Somalia.

Applications must include the following information:

1. An explanation of the situation / need and how and when the situation came about. This narrative must confirm that the person in need is a seafarer or an immediate family member of a seafarer who is, or has been, directly affected by Somali piracy and armed robbery.
2. An explanation of how the need can be met (e.g. by counselling, medical procedure, or the purchase of travel or similar).
3. The full monetary cost of meeting that need.
4. The full amount requested from the Fund.