Reducing humanitarian need
Providing life-saving assistance and protection to people in need of humanitarian aid is a priority for Ireland.
We have a strong and proud tradition of providing principled humanitarian assistance to those most in need. We respond to sudden large scale emergencies and crises. We also provide sustained support for protracted crises that often fall below the radar, such as Somalia and Yemen.
Ireland provides high quality humanitarian funding that is smart, fast and flexible. This supports our partners to respond rapidly, work where the needs are greatest, and provide the most appropriate type of help.
We are committed to multi-annual funding. This approach supports programmes that help communities to rebuild and recover.
Ireland recognises that there are no humanitarian solutions to humanitarian crises. Our approach in fragile contexts is one that acknowledges the multiple drivers and the need for a coherent response.
Long-term solutions require links across development programming, conflict prevention, climate action, peacebuilding and political dialogue.
Fostering those links across our work is key to breaking the cycle of repeated emergency responses.
363 million
people around the world in need of humanitarian help
€298 million
Ireland’s humanitarian budget for 2022
11
Ireland is the 11th largest humanitarian donor in the world per capita
Ireland’s approach to humanitarian assistance involves:
Reducing humanitarian need
Reducing humanitarian need is one of four priorities in Ireland’s international development policy, ‘A Better World’. It is an integral part of our foreign policy. It is also a clear expression of our values.
Reducing humanitarian need means recognising the urgency of providing life-saving humanitarian help. It also requires building the resilience of people most at risk. This is critical if we are to break the protracted nature of many crises and the need for repeated humanitarian interventions.
Humanitarian crises are increasing in number and duration. This is largely driven by conflict, climate change, the lingering effects of Covid-19 and economic shocks.
The illegal war in Ukraine, including its wider impacts on global food security, has stretched the humanitarian system to its limits.
A record 363 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian funding
Ireland’s humanitarian funding has increased responding to greater need. In 2022, Ireland provided over €297.8 million to support humanitarian crises across the globe. This marked an increase of 31% on 2021. We are one of the top 20 humanitarian donors in the world.
Our funding targets those most in need, particularly women, girls and people living with disabilities.
Ireland is recognised as a strong and principled donor. Our assistance is based on the humanitarian principles of independence, neutrality, impartiality and humanity.
Our funding is directed towards the most severe humanitarian crises. We have a strong focus on forgotten and protracted crises that have fallen below the radar. Our funding targets those most in need, particularly women, girls and people living with disabilities.
Our support is provided in a timely, effective and targeted manner through a range of trusted humanitarian partners. These include UN agencies, the EU, the Red Cross family and NGOs.
Recipients of Ireland’s humanitarian funding
Ireland provides dedicated funding to crisis specific appeals. In 2022, the top ten country recipients of Ireland’s humanitarian funding were:
- Ukraine
- Ethiopia
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- the occupied Palestinian territory
- Sudan
- Syria
- Yemen
- Lebanon
- Afghanistan
We were among the first donors to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Ireland announced a significant package on the first day of the invasion. This subsequently increased to €20 million.
In 2022, Ireland also provided additional emergency funding of €30 million to stave off impending famine in the Horn of Africa.
In October 2023, Ireland was one of the first countries to respond to the crisis in Gaza, when we provided €13 million to UN partners.
Flexible and multi-year funding
Ireland is committed to providing funding that is flexible and multi-year. This is in line with international best practice.
Funding in this way has many advantages. It supports our partners to plan, programme and respond rapidly to urgent needs. In 2022, we saw how important this was as the food crisis in the Horn of Africa worsened and new crises unfolded in Pakistan and Ukraine.
It also facilitates longer-term programming that supports livelihoods and builds resilience. Critically, this type of funding builds a strong partnership with communities, local authorities and local NGOs.
Anticipatory action
In 2022, Ireland increased its support for ‘anticipatory action’. This approach anticipates shocks and acts early.
Over half of today’s crises are somewhat predictable. This approach is an effective way to save lives, prevent losses and reduce costs. In 2022, Ireland’s partners used this approach in response to impending drought in Zimbabwe, heatwaves in Pakistan and floods in South Sudan.
Rapid Response Initiative
Ireland’s Rapid Response Initiative supports the rapid deployment of experts and the prepositioning of emergency stocks for immediate release when disasters strike.
These experts bring a range of critical expertise on issues such as water, sanitation, nutrition, logistics, shelter, gender and child protection.
In 2022, 24 Rapid Response Corps members were deployed to UN agencies in 13 countries. Countries members worked in included the Philippines, Burkina Faso, Lebanon, South Sudan, Madagascar, Slovakia and Poland.
204 metric tonnes of emergency relief items were deployed to help displaced families displaced in Malawi, DRC, Somalia and Moldova. These items included blankets, kitchen sets and sanitation equipment.
Progressing the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) commitment to Leave No One behind means that the priority must always be to reach the most vulnerable people.
Progress towards reaching the SDGs is slowest in the most fragile contexts. In these settings, Ireland is committed to:
- supporting emergency cash and vouchers (SDG1)
- emergency food and nutrition (SDG2)
- emergency health services (contributing to SDG3)
- continuity of education (SDG4)
- health and water and sanitation services (SDG6)
Ireland’s humanitarian funding targets the specific needs and capacities of women and girls (SDG5). It is increasingly delivered in a way that is climate smart and climate proofed (SDG13).
Ireland’s development work, particularly on food systems, social protection, education and global health, also makes an important contribution to the SDGs in crisis settings.