Ireland’s Rapid Response Roster
Please note: Ireland's Rapid Response Roster is not currently accepting applications.
Under the Rapid Response Roster, Ireland deploys highly-skilled and experienced individuals to humanitarian crises around the world.
The roster works with Ireland’s UN partners to assist with humanitarian and emergency response efforts.
Comprising over 100 humanitarian experts, the roster members have specialised skills in gender, nutrition, education in emergencies, information management, engineering, humanitarian coordination, protection and other areas.
Ireland on standby
Ireland has formal bilateral Standby Partnership Agreements with five UN agencies:
- UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- World Food Programme (WFP)
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
- International Organisation for Migration (IOM)
On request from any of these agencies, Ireland deploys members of its roster to support their emergency response.
A total of 24 roster members were deployed in 2022 to:
- Ethiopia
- Madagascar
- Zimbabwe
- Kenya
- Zambia
- South Sudan
- Uganda
- Lebanon
- Myanmar
- Romania, Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in response to the crisis in Ukraine
These roster members have provided expertise to the UN in areas such as nutrition, education, child protection, information management, humanitarian coordination and civil-military coordination.
Irish Aid Training
Irish Aid provides pre-departure training to roster members, in conjunction with the Defence Forces’ UN Training School Ireland (UNTSI) in the Curragh Camp.
This includes a general orientation on humanitarian response, training on humanitarian reform and architecture, and on humanitarian codes, standards and best practice.
It also includes training on personal safety and security to prepare members the challenging and difficult environments they will work in.
Rapid Responders usually receive a daily stipend during their deployment. Public servants who are also roster members may, subject to their employer’s approval, deploy on assignment from the roster and retain their salary and benefits.
Deployment costs
Irish Aid also meets basic costs while on deployment including travel to and from the roster member’s duty station, food and accommodation, visas, vaccinations and insurance.
Rapid Responders receive medical check-ups before departure, and are given advice and assistance in case of illness or emergency while in the field.