Providing Safety and Relief in Emergencies

When violence breaks out, the International Rescue Committee is often one of the first organisations on the scene, providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, restores dignity and begins recovery.

When we are nearby, we also come to the aid of victims of natural disaster too, making use of our experience and capacity for action.

Emergency response is one of the IRC’s globally-recognised strengths and we maintain expertise in key areas necessary to respond to sudden or protracted emergencies.

We are able to deploy to a crisis within 72 hours, either to launch new relief efforts or to support IRC teams already on the ground.

The most effective way to reduce the impact of a crisis on vulnerable populations however, is to be prepared to respond to one in advance. We support field teams, local partners and communities to be prepared for emergencies by providing the training and resources needed to address immediate needs.

We pre-position equipment and supplies in key transport hubs so that the materials can be dispatched anywhere in the world on short notice while we also maintain a roster of experienced IRC employees around the world and qualified external personnel who are available on short-notice for emergency deployment.