American aid is a mighty defense against conflict, poverty and despair, especially in countries where war and violence has forced millions to flee from the places they once called home. 

Never before has the world witnessed such a dramatic scale of human suffering. Today, 65 million people—24 per minute—are displaced worldwide by conflict and persecution. Among them are more than 11 million Syrians uprooted by nearly six years of civil war in their country. In a year of unprecedented crisis, these are the ten most-read stories on Rescue.org.

The purpose of this paper is to share IRC’s vision for the future of the Grand Bargain based on our experience on the ground and engagement with this forum. The paper is meant to contribute to current discussions on the ‘Grand Bargain 2.0’ as envisaged in the recent proposal by the Facilitation Group.

This year we mark World Humanitarian Day with a heavy heart, remembering Luka Filibus, an IRC child protection assistant who was abducted and killed by an armed group in northeast Nigeria.