The Rockefeller Foundation has committed $10 million to support innovation efforts by the International Rescue Committee, aiming to improve assistance for millions of people living in conflict and crisis settings. The multi-year initiative will fund the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab and accelerate the development of cost-effective, AI-powered solutions tailored to fragile and underserved regions.
The partnership is part of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Build the Shared Future Initiative, which focuses on advancing new models of humanitarian and development support in a world where poverty is increasingly concentrated in a small number of conflict-affected countries. The initiative seeks to combine innovation, evidence, and financing to deliver scalable solutions that address systemic gaps in aid delivery.
According to David Miliband, the collaboration will help bring advanced technology and practical solutions to communities often excluded from progress, enabling more effective and resilient systems in challenging environments. Rajiv J. Shah highlighted that the effort comes at a time when technological innovation can play a crucial role in addressing global humanitarian needs.
The funding will support a range of innovations, including AI-driven tools to expand immunization coverage, low-cost diagnostic technologies for frontline health workers, and maternal health solutions aimed at preventing postpartum hemorrhage. It will also promote anticipatory action models that use data to predict climate-related shocks and deliver aid before crises escalate.
The initiative responds to a growing global challenge, with nearly 90 percent of people in humanitarian need—around 213 million individuals—living in just 20 countries with weak or fragmented systems. At the same time, international aid is declining, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reporting a 23 percent drop in official development assistance between 2024 and 2025.
A key objective of the partnership is to ensure that innovations move beyond pilot stages and are scaled effectively. By mobilizing public and private financing and aligning stakeholders, the initiative aims to transform how humanitarian aid is delivered—shifting from fragmented efforts to sustainable, large-scale impact.
Through this collaboration, the Rockefeller Foundation and the IRC aim to demonstrate a new approach to global development, one that integrates technology, funding, and system-level change to better serve the world’s most vulnerable populations.
