A staff member of Concern Worldwide pictured in Haiti in October 2016 after a devastating hurricane strike. File photograph.
Concern Worldwide, Ireland’s largest overseas humanitarian organisation, has announced an income of €189.5 million last year, €37.7 million of which came from public donations and legacies.
The income was revealed as part of the organisation’s annual report which was approved this weekend and highlights its work in 24 countries during the previous year, spanning areas such as emergency aid, health and education.
Concern Chair, Waterford native John Treacy paid tribute to the organisation’s network of supporters and volunteers: “All of them are contributing to the mission of Concern, an expansive team keeping the flame of compassion alive across Ireland and further afield.”
The organisation said it provided aid to 28.6 million people last year – an increase of 4.4 million on 2018.
Concern Chief Executive Dominic MacSorley said the number of people requiring the organisation’s support was continuing to rise: “The number of people Concern is helping is rising, because the number of people in need is increasing, driven over the last 18 months by conflict, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said the pandemic had tested the organisation’s ability to respond to the crisis, saying the continuation of its work was enabled by “the generosity of the public and the flexibility shown by key donors such as Irish Aid.”
Other work the organisation has reported in its annual report includes:
- Responding to 82 emergencies in 21 countries throughout the previous year, directly reaching over 3.9 million people and a further 7.5 million indirectly.
- Responding to Cyclone Idai , one of the worst tropical cyclones on record in Africa, which affected 2.8 million people in Malawi and Mozambique in March and April of 2019.
- Reaching 569,000 farmers in 19 countries with climate smart agriculture interventions.
