In recent years, there has been growing donor momentum around youth-focussed programming with a focus on the role of youth in social, economic and political development, especially in conflict affected countries. However, there is a lack of detailed information about donor policies and strategies and whether and how these strategies have been matched by an increase in funding and specific programming to meet youth needs. The International Rescue Committee commissioned this report to analyse key trends in donor strategies, programmes and funding to meet the needs of youth (aged 15-24) in conflict- and disaster-affected countries, with a specific focus on youth livelihoods development. The report is based on an in-depth desk-based review of available donor policy documents, programme and project information sourced from donor websites or staff members, as well as interviews with donor representatives. It focuses on the major public sector donors that have worked on, with and for youth over the last decade. Annex A provides information on the policies, strategies and programming of individual, bilateral and multilateral donors

The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) annual Ditchley Park Policy Conference was held on 7th and 8th October 2014 and for the second consecutive year focused on urban displacement. Representatives from humanitarian and development organisations, UN agencies, the World Bank, the private sector, donor governments, local NGOs as well as academics and city planners attended, ensuring all key actors were part of the conversation

The IRC calls for Europe to resettle 108,000 refugees per year.

Over six months since the closure of Greece’s northern border and the introduction of the EU-Turkey deal, this policy brief—prepared jointly by 12 national and international organizations operational in Greece—outlines the current context for the over 60,000 people now stranded within the country’s borders.

The issue of how the global community can effectively address forced displacement is prominent on the international agenda. Displacement levels are the highest ever recorded with roughly 65 million people forcibly displaced around the world, including over 21 million refugees, three million asylum-seekers and over 40 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

As the European refugee crisis highlights, displaced people are increasingly travelling to or through towns and cities, rather than being accommodated in centralised camp settings. Today, more than half of the world’s displaced people live in urban areas and will, on average, continue to be displaced for over a decade. The humanitarian sector must adapt to meet the challenges of an urbanising world and the increasing role of cities as places of refuge, as well as sites of heightened risk of crisis, marginalisation, and inequality. It is therefore critical that humanitarian actors take a coordinated and collaborative approach to supporting refugees and migrants, tailoring their response to suit the urban context and its various stakeholders.