Report
This year, we’ve seen a dramatic collapse in international aid and a retreat from global cooperation, despite unprecedented levels of humanitarian need. At the same time, conflict is escalating rapidly, amplified by climate change and entrenched poverty, generating overlapping crises on an unprecedented scale. These forces are pushing displacement, food insecurity, and humanitarian need to near-record levels. For example, in Sudan, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis on record, 33 million people are in humanitarian need.
The IRC globally has been forced to cut its budget because of this retreat from international aid, and the stark reality is that more than two million of our clients will no longer receive services as a result. We are not alone in this. The humanitarian system is facing profound change, as we describe in our 2026 Emergency Watchlist: surging crises and shrinking support is not only a humanitarian failure, but the direct consequence of the geopolitical trends redefining how countries interact with one another.
This year has sharpened the IRC’s focus and strengthened our resolve. We are more determined than ever to create lasting change for the people we serve – through our evidence-based programmes, the influence of our ideas, and our innovative solutions. That has meant refocusing our efforts on high-impact, innovative and cost-effective programmes, like our solutions in malnutrition or use of technology to help families prepare for and recover from climate shocks.
We are proud to be the only large-scale humanitarian organisation that works across the arc of crisis, responding to our clients’ needs in the world’s worst humanitarian crises through to supporting them as they rebuild their lives, including here in the UK.
Read our full annual report to learn more about our impact in 2025.
