International committee of the Red Cross – Institutional support 2023 to 2026

This grant represents Canada’s long-term institutional support to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). ICRC uses these funds and other donors’ funding to achieve its mandate. The ICRC’s mandate is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. They achieve this through programming in protection assistance preventive action and cooperation with national societies. Project activities include: (1) continuing to protect people affected by armed conflict including addressing needs arising from sexual and gender-based violence; (2) providing food and non-food items water and basic health services; (3) promoting international humanitarian law; (4) cooperating and providing capacity building with national societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to lead an inclusive movement response in armed conflict; and (5) improving the treatment living conditions and livelihood opportunities of detained persons. The ICRC’s activities specific to gender equality and gender-based violence include: (1) providing psychological and social support to victims of sexual violence; (2) increasing women’s economic security as heads of households for example by providing cash grants to start a business or assistance to access government benefits; and (3) including women and girls in all phases of the humanitarian response cycle.

The expected outcomes for this project include : (1) improved access to urgently needed humanitarian assistance for women men girls and boys affected by armed conflict or other situations of violence; and (2) improved understanding of international humanitarian law and humanitarian principles from all parties including affected people and combatants. The expected ultimate outcome for this project is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.