When an emergency strikes, the International Rescue Committee arrives on the scene within 72 hours to assess the need and deliver urgent aid to people fleeing war, violence, or disaster. As one of the first organizations to respond in major humanitarian emergencies, we work diligently to gain an understanding of what resources are needed, so we can save as many lives as possible.
We then commit to staying as long as we are needed, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic well-being, and power to those who have lost nearly everything. From the war in Syria to the hunger crises in East Africa and Yemen, the IRC is on the frontlines providing emergency and long-term support.
Our experience has shown that having access to pre-arranged funding is essential during the initial stages of a major emergency. With your partnership, the Crisis Response Fund acts as emergency insurance, making sure that the IRC has the funds needed to immediately intervene when a crisis arises as well as provide financial protection to vulnerable populations. Emergencies can quickly throw families into poverty, especially in countries that lack emergency insurance. The CRF works to protect their finances, homes, and lives.
The IRC’s CRF enables IRC emergency teams to deliver multi-sectoral, high-impact responses more quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. With the flexible, pooled funding of the CRF we are able to build stronger bridges with local civic and operational partners, and deliver on our promise to help the most vulnerable, crisis-affected people to survive, recover and gain control of their future—anywhere in the world.
The CRF is built on the idea that emergency insurance results in a greater return on investment. Research shows that every $1 invested in preventing a drought or a flood from turning into a disaster saves about $3 in humanitarian aid. Similarly, if the Ebola outbreak had been contained when it was first detected in Guinea in 2014, the cost would have been $5 million instead of the $1 billion it became eight months later. Your contribution to the CRF will allow us to work together—before a disaster strikes—to reduce the actual cost of an emergency response and the shocking impact an emergency has on people’s lives.
The Crisis Respond Fund is an opportunity for the IRC and our partners to join together and transform the delivery of emergency aid. With your support, the CRF allows us to tackle the unprecedented scale of the crises we’re facing and assist more people whose lives have been shattered by conflict and disaster. The IRC is deeply grateful for your compassion and support for all those we serve. We hope you will stand with us on the frontlines to save more lives.
