Ukraine's battlefield gains fail to ease humanitarian crisis, IRC warns
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has warned that Ukraine's improved military position against Russia has not alleviated the severe humanitarian crisis affecting millions of displaced Ukrainians. David Miliband, the IRC's President and CEO, highlighted that funding cuts have severely impacted aid operations.
Speaking during a visit to Ukraine on World Refugee Day, Miliband noted that while Ukraine has slowed Russian advances on the battlefield, the humanitarian situation remains dire. He said, 'It feels particularly important at a time when there is this new sense of a different geopolitical narrative to recognise the brutality and strain that’s being faced by millions of Ukrainians.'
The IRC's budget in Ukraine has been halved from $40 million last year to an estimated $20 million for 2027, largely due to reductions in US foreign aid. The Trump administration has drastically cut international assistance and dismantled the US Agency for International Development, leading other nations to follow suit.
According to the United Nations, approximately 118 million people are displaced globally due to conflict, violence, and persecution. Ukraine accounts for around 10 million of these, with nearly four million internally displaced within the country.
Miliband described the situation as part of a 'new world disorder,' citing over 60 ongoing wars, diseases, and natural disasters. 'There are more shocks and fewer shock absorbers. And money is one of the absorbers,' he said.
The IRC provides mobile medical assistance to communities near the 1,200-kilometre frontline and offers trauma support to vulnerable children and women who have suffered abuse. Miliband emphasised the often overlooked mental health impact of the war, noting that redirecting a small portion of the billions of dollars in military aid toward humanitarian support could significantly bolster societal resilience.
