Wise and International Rescue Committee expand partnership to ensure immediate emergency response worldwide

New York, NY, January 27, 2026 - As humanitarian needs continue to reach record highs around the world, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Wise-the global technology company, building the best way to move and manage the world's money-have announced the evolution of their partnership to respond to new emerging crises.

Initially established in May 2025, the new phase of this partnership will double Wise's support for the IRC's Crisis Response Fund (CRF) from £500,000 to £1 million. The CRF is a mechanism that enables quick responses as new crises emerge and ensures agility as needs evolve across ongoing ones. Last year, the IRC delivered lifesaving services for over 380,000 people through the CRF.

David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, said:

"The Crisis Response Fund has allowed our teams to provide immediate relief and urgent assistance to some of the least visible and most vulnerable people affected by crisis worldwide. In this new era for aid, and as humanitarian needs continue to outpace available resources, partnerships with private sector organizations like Wise remain essential to power a faster, smarter and more humane response to emergencies around the world."

Caroline Corbett-Thompson, Global Sustainability and Social Impact Manager at Wise, said:

"We're proud to deepen our partnership with the IRC by doubling our commitment to its crisis response fund. As global humanitarian needs continue to grow, supporting the IRC's rapid, evidence-led response remains an important part of how we approach social impact at Wise."

Through the flexible funding from the CRF, in 2025 the IRC delivered services in 10 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, spanning five programming sectors: WASH, health, nutrition, education, and protection. Among others, the CRF covered responses to:

• food insecurity in Nigeria, where 30.6 million people face crisis or worse (IPC 3+) levels;
• intensifying conflict in Sudan, where 33.7 million people need humanitarian aid;
• flooding in Yemen, where 4.5 million people are internally displaced;
• an emergency in Afghanistan, providing support after the arrival of millions of Afghan returnees; and
• the earthquake in Myanmar, which caused damages equivalent to 15% of the country's GDP.