United States announces more than $200 million in humanitarian assistance to the ICRC and IFRC

The United States announced more than $200 million in disaster and humanitarian assistance to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on July 23, 2026, according to a press release by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Spokesperson. The package includes a nearly $133 million contribution to ICRC’s 2026 Global Appeal and $70 million to IFRC. The funding furthers the Department’s approach of flexible humanitarian assistance awards with global coverage. It enables implementing organizations to address ongoing crises and respond to new disasters using funding they already have on hand, bypassing lengthy procurement timelines. The contributions support organizations that respond quickly when disasters strike and provide access to people in need in conflict settings.

IFRC operates through an extensive network of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, comprising 18 million trained volunteers. These National Societies are often first on the ground when disasters strike, providing immediate life-saving assistance. The organization delivers rapid, scalable humanitarian assistance in response to sudden onset disasters and complex emergencies. The U.S. funding will help IFRC surge support to National Societies as needed. This structure is designed to help meet immediate needs on the ground.

The contribution to ICRC will support its work to deliver life-saving assistance to people living through armed conflict. According to the Department, ICRC’s unique mandate and neutral and impartial positioning enable it to achieve access to conflict-affected populations across frontlines and in hard-to-reach areas. This access allows the organization to reach people who may otherwise be inaccessible to other humanitarian implementers. By channeling assistance through such well-known and well-established organizations, the Department is leveraging existing response infrastructure. The approach aims to deliver assistance quickly and efficiently.

The rapid, flexible, and global focus of this assistance complements similarly structured awards to Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, and the World Food Program. It also builds on the Department’s historic memorandum of understanding and $3.8 billion commitment to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. By prepositioning assistance with trusted and proven implementing organizations, the Department is enabling faster, more efficient humanitarian and disaster response. The strategy also reduces bureaucratic burdens on Department staff. This model is intended to strengthen the overall response architecture.

The United States remains the largest humanitarian donor in the world. The Department continues to call on other governments and the private sector to join its push for a faster, more accountable, efficient, impact-driven, locally driven, and hyper-prioritized model of global humanitarian assistance. Today’s contributions reinforce that call by directing significant resources to established response networks. The awards are designed to meet urgent needs while promoting broader reforms in humanitarian delivery. They mark a further step in the Department’s evolving approach to global assistance.