After drastic job losses: ICRC back in the black

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The organization’s financial situation has stabilized, ICRC President Spoljaric Egger said in an interview with the French-language Swiss newspaper Le Temps published on Wednesday. A total of 4,000 jobs must be cut in 2023 and 2024.

This means that around 18,500 people will still be working for the Geneva-based organization worldwide next year. The ICRC’s budget for 2024 is approximately 2.1 billion francs. That is 13 percent less than this year. In particular, the programs in Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine and South Sudan were canceled, an ICRC spokeswoman told the Keystone-SDA news agency.

The reasons for the organization’s major financial problems include the increase in international conflicts, a focus on the war in Ukraine that has left international aid lacking elsewhere, and a general fatigue in donations given the multitude of these crises, as well as inflation.

The ICRC chairman also said in the interview that traditional donor countries have also provided valuable support in addressing this year’s deficit. China, Brazil and European countries such as Croatia and Slovenia have increased their support. In addition, South Korea is a new donor country and cooperation with the Gulf States has increased.

She also recalled Switzerland’s support. The Federal Council agreed to provide aid worth 50 million francs and postpone the repayment of a loan. The canton of Geneva also became active. He has granted the ICRC extraordinary assistance of 39.7 million francs for 2023.

The ICRC has grown steadily over the past ten years. Critics inside and outside the institution spoke of ‘uncontrolled growth’.

(SDA)

Source:Blick