Program areas at IRC
In Africa, the IRC worked in 20 countries to respond to new and ongoing crises in the region. In East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Yemen, 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 Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote D Ivoire, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso 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
Through a network of 25 cities across the country, the IRCs US Programs USP Department ensures that refugees and other vulnerable immigrants have the resources and tools they need to build new lives in America. USP serves 45,000 individuals each year through a diverse portfolio of programs aimed at five core outcomes Health, Safety, Economic Wellbeing, Education, and Power. Staff and volunteers work together to resettle newly arrived refugees, facilitating food, shelter, and other basic needs during the pivotal first months in the US. To promote self-reliance over the long term, the IRC also offers English language classes, vocational training, and job placement activities, as well as specialized services for asylees, survivors of torture, human trafficking, and other forms of trauma. The IRC provides comprehensive legal services to help refugees and other immigrants become permanent residents and US citizens, and supports a variety of programs designed to help new arrivals feel welcome and integrate into their adopted communities.
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.