Concern Worldwide

Before the ground dried and hardened, Amburo and her husband were farmers. They grew enough maize to sell at the local market, and to provide for their four children. Life was hard, but a life all the same. There were times of joy. But in Somalia, the distance from survival to crisis is paper thin. For a family living in extreme poverty, without savings or valuable assets, a failed crop can be fatal. "Our cattle perished,” Amburo says, “the ground dried out, and we couldn't grow crops. There was no rain. We had to go." Nearly four million people are internally displaced in Somalia, forced from their homes by a combination of conflict, drought, and flooding. In search of food and water, they travel to displacement camps; sprawling settlements of makeshift shelters, dotting the outskirts of Mogadishu and other urban centres. When forced to leave land, livestock, and livelihoods, parents struggle to feed their children. In Somalia, about 1.5 million children under the age of five are expected to face acute malnutrition in 2024. To save their children, Amburo and her husband left their village behind, and set out for Mogadishu. Their life in displacement had begun. "I couldn't find work when I arrived in Mogadishu. Even now, bits of my body, including my legs and chest, hurt from the journey and the stress. Even if I could go to work, I have nobody to watch over my kids," Amburo says. "My husband does what he can. He works as a log cutter. On a good day, he could make between 3 USD and 7 USD, but that is insufficient." If they could not survive in Mogadishu, where else could they go? Amburo does not even know where her family and siblings are; "I have no idea where they are today; probably in another camp going through something similar." Amburo was losing hope. From a friend in the camp, Amburo heard of a group that sends cash to displaced families, with no strings attached. That group is the Somali Cash Consortium (SCC), funded by the European Union, and led by Concern. Directly giving cash is an effective way to support people experiencing a crisis or disaster. If there are functioning markets within reach, cash provides a family the opportunity and agency to meet their self-assessed needs. Amburo’s face lights up when she describes her first payment: "A month ago, I received 180 USD. The first thing I did was pay my children's school fee. I also bought them maize, since it was my favourite food growing up, and clothes to wear. The cash has improved my life, and my children look healthier today." From April 2023 to April 2024, the SCC sent the equivalent of 9.3 million Euro to nearly 40,000 Somali households, benefitting approximately 300,000 people. The cash has given Amburo space to breathe. "I'm less anxious than before and hopeful about the future." #somalia #europeanunion #concern #drought #idp #malnutrition EU in Emergencies

Sudan is suffering a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions. We must come together to end the crisis. There is no time to lose.

“What is happening in Sudan is appalling, but what’s even more appalling is the lack of the world’s attention.” These are the words of former President of Ireland Mary Robinson, who yesterday joined Concern Worldwide and other organisations to call for an urgent scaling up of the response to the crisis in Sudan. As part of Dóchas, the Irish Network for International Development and Humanitarian Organisations, Concern’s CEO David Regan joined the former President, former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and representatives from Trócaire, GOAL Global and World Vision Ireland to highlight the situation in Sudan, which is experiencing the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. 26 million people are in need of urgent assistance. 9 million children are food insecure. 755,000 people are on the brink of famine. An immediate ceasefire is required to provide vital support and humanitarian access to millions of people in Sudan. There is #NoTimeToLose.

“We go out there knowing that we are putting our lives on the line. We prepare our families for the ‘what ifs’.” With 2024 on course to be the deadliest year on record for humanitarians in some of the world's most dangerous contexts, more and more aid workers - particularly those working locally, rather than international staff with greater protections - are living in fear that they won't return home.

We're here at Dóchas' Sudan Emergency Briefing in Dublin today, where Trócaire are sitting alongside representatives from GOAL Global, Concern Worldwide, and World Vision Ireland to demand an end to the violence in Sudan now. There is no time to lose. Former President of Ireland, and Chair of The Elders Foundation, Mary Robinson has been speaking powerfully on the what is now the largest humanitarian catastrophe in the world. We've also heard powerful words from our own CEO Caoimhe de Barra: "We have witnessed this crisis unfold from an opportunity for democratic reform, to a battle for power with little regard for those in its path." "This is a man-made crisis, where women's bodies are the battlefield."

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Today we launched a very special project - Concern Worldwide’s first legacy TV ad. Hitting Irish TV screens this week 📺 A big thank you to Don't Panic London | Certified B Corp and all involved for creating such a beautiful ad about the generosity and impact of legacy gifts 🌟

Today is the International Day of Charity, and we would like to highlight our incredible corporate supporters, who make our work in the world's most vulnerable countries possible. Last week, Accenture UK & Ireland's Culture Council held a charity shop, charity bingo and a mindfulness event at their Dublin offices, to raise vital funds for Concern's Sudan appeal. Sudan is currently experiencing the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with ongoing conflict resulting in 755,000 people on the brink of famine. Thanks to the generosity of Accenture's staff, we can now reach more families in need with lifesaving support. A huge thanks to this amazing team for their generosity, effort and time - and for keeping the focus on sustainability too! 💪 In 2023, Concern Worldwide responded to a total of 66 emergencies in 20 countries. This year we continue to provide lifesaving support to families and communities, and will stay to help communities get back on their feet. Want to get your company involved? Speak to us about how your business can make a global impact, connect staff and magnify your CSR values by emailing [email protected] ⚡

Exciting news! The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance is evolving into the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, expanding its focus to address the growing climate crisis. Building on a decade of success in flood resilience, they are now working to help communities worldwide adapt to a wider range of climate threats. Through long-term community programmes, new research, and stakeholder influencing, they aim to deliver systemic change at scale and realise their vision of a world in which communities are more resilient to climate hazards and able to thrive. The Alliance unites a diverse group of humanitarian organisations, NGOs, research partners, and the private sector: Zurich Insurance  Concern Worldwide International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC Mercy Corps Plan International Practical Action International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSITION-INTL Learn more:

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