The International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, will shed at least 2,900 positions next year as a result of declining donor contributions, the global humanitarian organization has announced.
This represents about 16% of its 18,000-strong workforce, of which about 1,000 work at the ICRC’s head office in Geneva, Switzerland.
The cuts are being driven by diminished funding from the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany, among others, which has created a “complex financial situation” for the organization, according to ICRC chief spokesperson Christian Cardon, who spoke to Devex over the phone from Geneva. The dramatic loss of financial support comes at a time when conflicts are escalating and intensifying, he said.