New York, NY, November 18, 2022 — IRC welcomes the Biden Administration’s request to Congress this week for more humanitarian aid within its proposed emergency supplemental funding. By mid-2022, more than 300 million people required humanitarian aid - a record high. Given the unprecedented scale of need and the ripple effects of the Ukraine conflict on food security globally, the IRC believes the request is insufficient and urges Congress to consider higher global humanitarian funding. There is a strong history of bipartisan Congressional support for US humanitarian aid.
US funding is nothing short of a lifeline for millions of people in conflict and crisis settings. More so than ever before, many critical aid responses hinge on US generosity. The US government is the leading donor in places like Somalia, South Sudan, Syria and Burkina Faso, including many of the states at highest risk of famine. This funding saved lives and averted worst-case scenarios.
Without this supplemental, Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs (BHA) and Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) funding cuts would jeopardize operations across these countries, including some critical IRC programs. Our assistance includes lifesaving programs in health and nutrition, cash, protection services, economic recovery, livelihoods and education.
On December 14, the IRC will release its annual Emergency Watchlist 2023, which will identify the top 20 countries most at risk of humanitarian crisis in the year ahead. The report draws alarming conclusions on high risks in many states in the coming months giving the compounding and accelerating impacts of conflict, climate change, and economic collapse. Time is not on our side. We expect a new record to be set in global humanitarian appeals next year. We urge the US to move this supplemental request forward immediately, rather than wait to react when the worst predictions are realized.
David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, said, “Between the conflict in Ukraine and its global fallout, record flooding in Pakistan, and imminent famine in East Africa, humanitarian needs worldwide have reached unprecedented heights. A meaningful US investment can help prevent these crises from getting significantly worse and should galvanize action by other donors who also need to step up and do more. Otherwise, millions of lives will be at imminent risk. When aid is cut, the most vulnerable pay the price: families go hungry, children are taken out of school and sent to work or married off, and rates of gender-based violence spike for women and girls. All of the needs we see around the world are being increased by the Ukraine crisis. Food prices, energy prices, interest rates are all rising. So the needs in Ukraine are not a reason to cut spending elsewhere; they are a reason to increase it. As displacement and humanitarian needs spiral, US’ consistent global leadership is needed more than ever”