Ireland provides over €310 million to respond to humanitarian crises in 2024

2024 saw an escalation in humanitarian crises globally, the Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin has announced that Ireland provided over €310 million in response to humanitarian crises across the world this year.

The assistance was channelled through partners including Irish and international NGOs, UN agencies, the EU, and the Red Cross Family. Ireland’s humanitarian response targets those most in need in the most severe crises.

Noting Ireland’s contributions this year, the Tánaiste said:

"Ireland’s quality humanitarian funding has supported our humanitarian partners to respond rapidly to sudden onset disasters and work effectively in forgotten and protracted crises throughout 2024. With nearly 300 million people in need of humanitarian assistance across the world this year, this response remains as vital as ever.

"In 2024, we continued our focus on underfunded and less visible emergencies including in Somalia, Yemen, Myanmar and Afghanistan. Ireland also responded quickly to major conflict and climate driven crises is Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, the Caribbean and Ukraine.”

In 2024, we have seen the devastating impact that humanitarian crises, driven by conflict and climate have had, including on 120 million people forcibly displaced across the world. In all crises, we have seen a disproportionate impact on women and girls. Their protection and the protection of millions of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people is central to Ireland’s response working with specialist agencies like the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in countries like Jordan, Bangladesh, Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Ireland also supports the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Rescue Committee in Sudan and neighbouring countries, including South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Egypt and Libya helping to provide life-saving reproductive health and protection services for women and girls and support the prevention of gender based violence in emergencies in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan and Somalia.

In response to the displacement and protection crises around the world, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Seán Fleming, added:

"Unfortunately, we continue to see that those most affected by humanitarian crises are women and children, whether through gender based violence, loss of livelihoods, lack of access to healthcare or forced displacement. Recognising this disproportionate impact, Ireland continues to support organisations who can best reach and support women and children and their communities in the most fragile contexts."

The Global Humanitarian Overview for 2025 estimates that over 305 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance next year. Ireland’s needs-based humanitarian assistance focused on the most severe humanitarian crises and targeting the most vulnerable populations will continue in 2025.

Notes

Irish Aid is the government’s programme for international development.

Ireland invested over €320 million in humanitarian aid in 2023. This compares with €297.8 million in 2022, €228 million in 2021, €192 million in 2020 and €181 million in 2019. The 2024 total spend is expected to be similar to 2023 once calculations are finalised.

Ireland is recognised for its quality humanitarian funding. In line with international best practice we provide funding that is flexible, predictable and multi-year. This type of funding supports our partners to plan and programme more effectively and to respond rapidly to urgent needs as they evolve. Importantly, Ireland’s quality funding also provides a strong basis for respectful partnerships with communities, local authorities and local and national NGOs, actors who are front and centre of the humanitarian response.

Ireland’s humanitarian spend also includes core contributions to organisations such as UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), UNOCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross).

Ireland’s humanitarian assistance is provided by way of bilateral and multilateral aid and is channelled through a range of trusted partners: UN agencies, the Red Cross family and Non-Governmental Organisations.