Ireland’s Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, has announced €5 million in Irish Aid funding to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support its work across six African countries. The package includes an additional €1.5 million specifically earmarked to assist women and girls in Sudan, where the humanitarian crisis continues to intensify.
The additional allocation for Sudan comes in response to escalating violence and growing protection risks, particularly for women and girls who are disproportionately affected by conflict and instability. During a meeting in Dublin with senior IRC representatives, Minister Richmond emphasized the urgent need to strengthen protection measures and address gender-based violence, highlighting the severity of abuses faced by women and girls in the country.
The new funding will enable the IRC to expand life-saving gender-based violence services in western Sudan and integrate child protection and health services in the eastern part of the country. This approach is designed to provide holistic, survivor-centred care and improve access to essential protection and support services for those most at risk.
Ireland’s support builds on a strategic partnership launched in 2025, under which it committed €3.5 million annually over three years to the IRC to address gender-based violence in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, South Sudan and Sudan. With the additional €1.5 million for 2026, the total multi-year contribution will reach €12 million. The partnership aims to empower women and girls in conflict-affected settings by strengthening protection systems, supporting local women’s rights organisations, promoting participation in decision-making, and ensuring that gender equality and prevention of gender-based violence remain central to humanitarian responses.
