About the International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster survive, recover, and rebuild, working in crisis zones and resettlement communities around the world.

Founded at the suggestion of Albert Einstein in the 1930s to help people fleeing Nazi Germany, the IRC today responds to wars, displacement, and natural disasters in dozens of countries, and helps resettle refugees once they reach safety.


From Emergency to Recovery

IRC teams provide emergency health care, clean water, nutrition support, and safe spaces for children in the earliest, most chaotic days of a crisis, then stay engaged to help rebuild schools, clinics, and livelihoods long after the news cameras leave.

The organization also runs resettlement and integration programs in the United States and other countries, helping refugee families find housing, jobs, and community as they rebuild their lives.


Where the IRC Works

IRC teams are active in major crisis zones—including Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Syria, and Afghanistan—as well as dozens of other countries facing conflict, displacement, or disaster recovery.

Because staff are often already on the ground before a crisis makes headlines, the IRC can move quickly, and its programs are designed to keep working long after global attention shifts elsewhere.

See the IRC's Current Response

The IRC publishes ongoing updates on active crises and the people its programs serve.