On April 6 last year, Gloria Ibrahim, 29, and her family woke to the clatter of gunfire. They ran outside to find a cadre from Boko Haram, the radical Islamist militia that controls parts of northeastern Nigeria, rounding up villagers.

The International Rescue Committee is significantly scaling up our humanitarian response in northeastern Nigeria, where hunger and famine threaten people who have lived in the grip of Boko Haram terror over the past four years.

Single mum Zahra had to leave her dream job when she left Afghanistan. Now living in the UK, she hopes to become a journalist again and use her voice to speak for women's rights across the world.

This Valentines Day we’re celebrating our staff who provide life-saving work across the world - and their partners’ that have supported them throughout the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.