ABOUT THE IRC: Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee
(IRC) is a non-sectarian organization that assists refugees worldwide. The IRC is
a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, post conflict developments,
resettlement services and advocacy for people affected by conflict or oppression.
In areas where its programs are already operational, the IRC also uses its local
knowledge and expertise to respond to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina,
the Indian Ocean Tsunami and the South Asian earthquake.
IRC IN PAKISTAN: The IRC has been working in Pakistan
since 1980, when hundreds of thousands of refugees crossed the border from Afghanistan
in the wake of the Soviet invasion. IRC teams have worked in camps and settlements
across Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Baluchistan, including
the tribal areas, to provide shelter, food, protection, education, vocational training,
water supply systems, sanitation facilities, and medical services to Afghan refugees.
Programs still focus on improving the quality of life for Afghan refugees and their
host communities, while also assisting sustainable repatriation to Afghanistan.
When the South Asian earthquake struck in October 2005, the IRC responded immediately,
sending emergency teams to provide immediate relief and health care to the worst-hit
areas. The IRC is now working with communities to support long-term reconstruction
and rehabilitation.