International Rescue Committee (IRC)

In Africa, the IRC worked in 19 countries to respond to new and ongoing crises in the region. In East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zimbabwe, the IRC provided life-saving aid in response to conflict and during periods of severe drought, and strengthened health, water, and sanitation systems throughout the region. In North and West Africa, including Libya, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote D Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, the IRC strengthened health systems and additionally implemented programs to protect vulnerable populations, particularly women and children. The IRC in the Great Lakes region, in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania, worked with local and national partners to help rebuild communities impacted by violence, and put in place rapid-response mechanisms to provide life-saving support to those in need.

In Asia, the IRC responded to the primary and reproductive health needs of internally displaced persons, refugees, and host communities across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Thailand. In Afghanistan, the IRC also provided shelter, water, and sanitation services to internally displaced persons and returning refugees from Pakistan. In Pakistan, the IRC supported thousands of students through the Pakistan Reading Project. In Myanmar, the IRC supported hard-to-reach populations through the delivery of health, livelihoods, and economic recovery programs, and in Thailand, the IRC continued to provide health services to individuals and families residing in camps.

In the Middle East, the IRC worked in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Through local partnerships, the IRC delivered aid inside Syria, and additionally supported Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan. The IRC also delivered programs in the Kurdish Region of Iraq and aided Iraqi refugees through the region. The IRC, along with the Sesame Workshop, implemented a large-scale childhood development intervention aimed at improving early reading, math, and social-emotional skills of children. It is the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response.