Report
Which humanitarian interventions deliver the most impact per dollar?
The International Rescue Committee has identified, through years of rigorous research, a set of high-impact interventions that deliver outsized results for every dollar invested. Download the two-pager for the evidence behind each, or read on for a summary.
Humanitarian needs have reached record levels while available funding shrinks. Seventeen countries at the intersection of extreme poverty, conflict and climate vulnerability are home to 70% of people in humanitarian need, yet receive a fraction of the funding required. Every dollar must work harder.
The two-pager addresses the following questions, drawing on evidence across health and survival, women's empowerment, education, and cash and resilience:
How can we reach children with vaccines in conflict zones at low cost?
Through the IRC's REACH program with Gavi, mobile teams and pop-up clinics have delivered over 24 million doses, with delivery costs falling to ~$2 per dose at scale.
What is the most cost-effective way to treat acute malnutrition?
A simplified malnutrition treatment protocol matches standard care outcomes at one-fifth less cost, enabling treatment for more children with the same resources.
How can health systems prevent maternal deaths in low-resource settings?
Community-based distribution of misoprostol cuts postpartum hemorrhage risk by 80%, extending coverage to communities that facility-based care cannot reach.
What is the return on investment for infection prevention in crisis settings?
Effective prevention and control halves infection-related deaths and saves over $16 in treatment costs for every $1 invested.
How cost-effective is reproductive health programming in humanitarian contexts?
Every $1 spent on contraceptive services saves $2.50 in health care costs, while self-injection innovations and community health workers extend access to women in crisis settings.
Can humanitarian programming reduce intimate partner violence cost-effectively?
An integrated IRC approach in the DRC achieved a 77% reduction in intimate partner violence at 27% lower cost than stand-alone programs.
Is remote early learning a cost-effective response to disrupted schooling?
The IRC's Remote Early Learning Program delivers a year's worth of preschool gains in 11 weeks via WhatsApp, at 20% lower cost than in-person preschool.
How does cash compare to in-kind aid in cost-efficiency?
Cash transfers reach 18% more people and generate $2 in local economic activity for every $1 transferred, by removing supply chain costs and giving families direct purchasing choice.
Can anticipatory action reduce humanitarian costs before disasters hit?
Pre-shock cash and early warning systems help families preserve assets and meet basic needs, reducing the cost burden of post-crisis response. The IRC's anticipatory action model now operates in five countries.
As the gap between humanitarian need and available funding widens, these highest-return investments offer the clearest path to reaching more people with fewer resources.
