If the Generation Equality Forum is to deliver on its promise for game-changing results for all women and girls and support the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) promise to Leave No One Behind, the Forum as a whole, and the Economic Justice and Rights Action Coalition specifically, must include dedicated commitments for displaced women and girls, including refugees, IDPs and others affected by conflict and crisis who are at risk of exclusion.

An IRC assessment of five provinces in Afghanistan reveals the dramatic impact of drought on communities in Herat, Badghis, Pakitya, Helmand and Khost.

While systematic evidence on violence against LGBTQI people in conflict and humanitarian settings is limited, local LGBTQI serving organisations and international humanitarian organisations have documented and exposed the threats to the physical and psychological safety, human rights, health, and economic security of LGBTQI individuals as they navigate conflict and displacement. Nevertheless, humanitarian responses continue to exclude LGBTQI people and communities, subjecting them to even higher risk of harm. In an effort to improve our approach as a humanitarian agency to reach, support, and advocate with and for LGBTQI people affected by humanitarian crises, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) undertook research to better understand the experiences of LGBTQI people in conflict and humanitarian settings.

Seventy years ago, 145 countries signed the 1951 Refugee Convention in the wake of World War II, when the displacement of millions of people across Europe shed light on the need for humanitarian protections for those forced to flee violence and persecution. Since 1951, 50 million people have been protected under the Convention’s umbrella. Yet, today, the consensus that forged the Convention and the international cooperation that underpins it are being increasingly undermined.

As an organisation with less than 250 employees IRC UK is not legally required to publish an annual gender pay gap report. However we have agreed to report the gender pay gap in order to inform actions to address any pay inequality that may exist between men and women; to demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to transparency; and to enable our staff to contribute to dialogue around gender equality in the workplace.

In 2017, atrocities by the Myanmar military drove over 850,000 Rohingya across the border into Bangladesh, where they continue to live in temporary settlements today. Over the past four years, as conditions inside the refugee camps have deteriorated, the host community in Teknaf and Ukhiya—who generously welcomed refugees in 2017—have seemingly grown wary of their protracted presence. Intensifying environmental, economic and social impacts linked to continued Rohingya displacement have raised tensions, and studies since 2019 have documented declining social cohesion between refugee and host communities. This study, undertaken by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), in collaboration with researchers at Dhaka University (DU), assesses the challenges and opportunities to social cohesion in the Rohingya context. The report maps out social tension across five issue areas: environment and ecology; labour market; cultural and political landscape; land; and the presence of the humanitarian community.

While wealthier nations begin to offer already fully vaccinated populations a third dose, many countries lag far behind – and many vulnerable populations are struggling to even obtain their first. In the 20 countries identified by IRC at greatest risk of a major new – or significantly worsened – humanitarian crisis over 2021, only 2.4 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated, and less than 5 percent of the population has received a single dose of the vaccine. This inequity will stall the global fight against COVID-19 while making the everyday reality for those living in conflict zones and protracted displacement contexts much graver, as COVID-19 will continue to exacerbate existing humanitarian crises, driving poverty, hunger, and insecurity. To bridge gaps in global response and center vulnerable populations in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, we make five central recommendations for global leaders and institutions in this brief.

Children are one of the most vulnerable groups of migrants. They have complex needs, including for a safe and stable environment, as well as access to healthcare, education and tailored, child-friendly services. Within this group, unaccompanied children, who have been separated from their families and are not being cared for by an adult guardian,are particularly exposed to increased risks of violence, abuse, and exploitation. As a result, they need targeted and appropriate services to scale, including adequate identification and registration, guardianship and legal representation, quality accommodation and care arrangements. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been providing child protection services for asylum-seekers, refugees and other migrants in Greece since 2016, and have been providing Supported Independent Living services for teenagers in Athens in 2019. We believe that durable solutions that better address the needs and safeguard the rights of unaccompanied children must be urgently introduced or expanded. This report aims to highlight the importance of strengthening the multiple durable solutions available for unaccompanied children in Greece.

This report is the third publication by the International Rescue Commitee (IRC) on the incidence of gender-based violence (GBV) among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Previous reports include The Shadow Pandemic: Gender-based violence among Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh (June 2020) and GBV Trends Among Rohingya Refugees in Cox’s Bazar: COVID-19 Update (January 2021). Using data collected from IRC’s Integrated Women’s Centres and integrated GBV-health programme sites across Cox’s Bazar, alongside evidence from interviews with IRC’s GBV case workers, this report offers two sets of findings. The first section provides the consolidated findings of IRC’s GBV screening data over a 24-month collection period, from 2019 – 2021, revealing the continuity of reported GBV rates in this time period. The second and third are the findings of both IRC GBV screening data and GBVIMS data from October 2020 – June 2021, showing the most recent trends in GBV reporting.

Britain as a Force for Good: Six Ways to Turn a Slogan Into Reality. An Essay collection from the IRC and RUSI