Emergency Relief: On the Frontlines of Crisis

In a moment, an outbreak of war or the threat of violence and persecution can turn lives upside down—driving millions from their homes, tearing apart families and destroying communities. 

When catastrophe hits, the International Rescue Committee is often one of the first humanitarian aid organizations on the scene—providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, restores dignity and jumpstarts recovery.

Emergency response is one of the IRC’s globally-recognized strengths and this capacity has put us on the frontlines of many of the worst crises in recent times—from violence-ravaged Darfur, Sudan to earthquake-devastated Pakistan.

IRC’s Emergency Response Team

The International Rescue Committee maintains an Emergency Response Team of 17 specialists with expertise in key areas necessary to assess critical survival needs and mount an effective response to sudden or protracted emergencies.

The team includes coordinators, logisticians, doctors and water and sanitation experts. It also includes specialists who focus on human rights protection, the special needs of children in crisis, the prevention of sexual violence and aid for rape survivors.  There are also focal points for grants development, program design, security, finance, human resources and communications.
Emergency Response Team members are always on standby to deploy to a crisis within 72 hours, whether they are launching new relief efforts or lending support to IRC teams already on the ground.

Always Prepared

The most effective way to reduce the impact of a crisis on vulnerable populations is to be prepared to respond to one in advance.  The International Rescue Committee is committed to emergency preparedness—giving field teams, local partners and communities the training and resources needed to address immediate needs.

The IRC pre-positions equipment and supplies in key transport hubs so that the materials can be dispatched anywhere in the world on short notice. We’ve also created a kit with a wide range of inventory necessary for the start-up of an emergency program in a remote location. 

The IRC also maintains a roster of experienced IRC employees around the world and qualified external personnel who are pre-interviewed and are available on short-notice for emergency deployment.