International Rescue Committee Annual Report 2017
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INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2017 INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT 2017 A portrait of a New Roots gardener in San Diego, California. Shaun Boyte/IRC CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRS OF THE IRC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OVERSEERS 6 THE IRC AND SESAME WORKSHOP 8 SURVIVAL 12 RECOVERY 20 RENEWAL 30 OUR SUPPORTERS 40 BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF LEADERSHIP 68 Children collect water from IRC-filled water tanks in FINANCIAL REPORT 70 their village in Yemen. Kellie Ryan/IRC HOW YOU CAN HELP 71 The International Rescue Committee has stepped up at this critical moment—helping more people than ever before and using its voice for the world’s most vulnerable people. We are a committed advocate 4 5 for refugees and displaced people, and the communities which host them, no matter their race, religion or country of origin. DAVID MILIBAND PRESIDENT AND CEO IRC ANNUAL REPORT 2017 RESCUE.ORG MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRS OF THE IRC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OVERSEERS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIRS OF THE IRC BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OVERSEERS Katherine Farley Timothy F. Geithner Tracy R. Wolstencroft David Miliband Co-Chair Chair Co-Chair President and CEO IRC Board of Directors IRC Overseers IRC Board of Directors Dear Friends, Together we won the MacArthur Foundation’s first- as a refuge from dictatorship—and express infrastructure across finance, procurement and ever $100 million “100&Change” award to bring solidarity with the countries bearing the greatest human resources. We are proud and determined to We are living in a time of pressing and growing education and healing to a generation of Syrian burden of the crisis. uphold the highest standards of professionalism, humanitarian need. More than 65 million people refugee children. set out in the IRC Way and related policies, in have been displaced by conflict or disaster and We are sad to report that in the U.S. refugee which all staff are trained and held accountable. half are children. Compounding this global crisis, Today, the IRC’s leadership, expertise and over admissions have been reduced to a historic low. the families desperate for safety—and even the 80 years of experience have never been more The figure set for Fiscal Year 2017 was 45,000— Our efforts to continually improve outcomes 6 humanitarian workers who endeavor to help needed. The Syrian war has driven 13.5 million half the average of recent years. IRC research for the people we serve and our cost-effective 7 them—are increasingly under assault. people from their homes. We have seen the tragic suggests only 21,200 refugees will actually stewardship of your generous contributions are re-emergence of famine in South Sudan and be admitted, significantly reducing support for primary reasons that the IRC continues to earn The International Rescue Committee has stepped the devastating effects of hunger in East Africa, refugees and weakening America’s longstanding top marks from charity evaluators: A+ from up at this critical moment—helping more people Nigeria and Yemen. In Myanmar, deadly attacks commitment to the world’s most vulnerable. CharityWatch; “meets all 20 standards” from the than ever before and using its voice for the world’s caused 671,000 Rohingya civilians to flee Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance; most vulnerable people. We are a committed At the IRC, we run towards problems and not away to Bangladesh. and four stars from Charity Navigator for an advocate for refugees and displaced people, and from them. We seek new solutions, pushing the unprecedented 11th consecutive year. the communities which host them, no matter In more than 40 countries, we help refugees boundaries of humanitarian aid in some of the their race, religion or country of origin. Year after survive, recover and rebuild their lives. We provide toughest places on earth. At times, we are called We thank you for standing with us and ask for your year, we bring hope and lifesaving care to millions not only emergency aid, such as clean water and upon to address challenges so great that history continued support as we tackle the challenges and whose lives have been shattered by crisis. health care, but also economic support, education offers little instruction in how to solve them. It harness the opportunities that lie ahead. and job skills training. In the U.S. we empower is through the passion and persistence of our As we meet the challenges in front of us, we are refugees to restart their lives. And we are a frontline workers, and the partnership of visionary proud to present our 2017 Annual Report, which growing presence in Europe, bringing our expertise donors, that we will discover the roadmap forward. offers a glimpse into our work—and the impact of in refugee resettlement to the fore. generous support from governments, corporations, Binding us in everything we do are our values, foundations and individuals. An exciting new How we respond to the global refugee crisis is a commitment to excellence and strong moral development featured in this report test of our character and what we stand for. When grounding. To ensure our field staff can make is our partnership with Sesame Workshop. we welcome refugees, we safeguard democracy an even greater impact, we are investing in our IRC ANNUAL REPORT 2017 RESCUE.ORG THE IRC AND SESAME WORKSHOP THE LARGEST EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee bring education and hope to refugee children. 8 9 Joy, learning and laughter. This is sadly not the experience of the 32 million children around the world whose homes, communities and lives have been shattered by conflict and crisis. For the past seven years, Syria and its neighboring countries have been the epicenter of a global refugee crisis, with millions of children born into chaos. Many of these children lack a safe place to learn, to play and to heal. They will suffer the invisible scars of war for years to come. Together, the International Rescue Committee and Sesame Workshop are committed to changing this. The IRC and Sesame Workshop first came together in 2016 to Tonton the Muppet interacts with a Syrian refugee develop an innovative approach to early childhood development girl during a kindergarten class at the Fneish camp in in crisis settings. eastern Lebanon. Tara Todras-Whitehill/IRC In December 2017, our partnership was awarded the MacArthur IRC ANNUAL REPORT 2017 RESCUE.ORG SECTIONTHE IRC AND TITLE SESAME GOES HERE WORKSHOP Foundation’s inaugural $100 million 100&Change programming, this investment will change the way grant to make real progress toward solving a the humanitarian system responds to refugee critical problem of our time. crises around the world. Through our work with Sesame Workshop, we aim to transform the With this extraordinary investment, our partnership humanitarian sector so that early childhood will transform the language, early reading, math interventions become an essential component of and social-emotional skills of a generation of any response. children affected by the Syrian war. Focusing on children in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria over the next five years, the plan combines the depth of in-person services, reaching 1.5 million children, with the breadth of mass media, reaching 9.4 million children. It will be the largest early childhood intervention in the history of humanitarian response. Right: Sesame Street Muppets visit with children in a By creating and rigorously testing new models for refugee camp in Lebanon. effective, scalable and sustainable early childhood Ryan Heffernan/Sesame Workshop 10 11 OUR PROGRAM HAS THREE LIFE-CHANGING COMPONENTS: Support for parents Early learning centers A new educational to help them provide within formal and informal television show featuring the nurturing care and settings to provide children Sesame Street Muppets stimulation young children (ages 3-6) with high- that will introduce (ages 0-3) need to mitigate quality, play-based learning. characters and role models the impact of stress, We know from decades who reflect the unique violence and displacement. of scientific research experiences of refugee Support will be delivered that early childhood children and their families. through trained home interventions have long- In addition to being visitors, group facilitators term benefits for the health available on television, this and mobile devices. and economic wellbeing program will be delivered of individuals and their through mobile phones and communities. digital platforms. IRC ANNUAL REPORT 2017 RESCUE.ORG SURVIVAL 12 13 With conflict and natural disasters forcing 24 people from their homes every minute, the International Rescue Committee’s work is more urgent than ever. IRC ANNUAL REPORT 2017 RESCUE.ORG SURVIVAL FEAR, HUNGER AND DISEASE—TENS OF MILLIONS SUFFER WORLDWIDE The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic well-being and power to people devastated by conflict and natural disaster. We are committed to providing rapid humanitarian relief whenever and wherever we are needed, including some of the most dangerous and hard-to-reach places 14 on earth. 15 Top: Two South Sudanese men stand on a canoe off the shores of Nyoat Island, a small island located within As first responders, we strive to respond to an emergency Before my the swamplands surrounding Nyal, South Sudan. within 72 hours in order to help as many refugees as possible. daughter was Kellie Ryan/IRC When people are forced to flee their homes, we are there to Opposite Page Left: The IRC is responding to the provide them with clean water, shelter, medical care, emergency in the nutrition cholera outbreak in Yemen by providing clean water, cash assistance and other critical aid.