400 people working for Concern Worldwide have been made redundant due to aid funding cuts, and the Irish humanitarian organisation expects that figure to rise.
In a statement, Concern Worldwide confirmed that it “has been forced” to make staff redundant both in Ireland, where it has a head office in Dublin, and in some of the countries in which it works.
It said that the largest job losses were across 13 of the 26 countries in which it works: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Syria/Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Haiti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, and Burkina Faso.
“Nearly 400 staff have been made redundant, but this number is expected to rise due to the severity of the funding cuts,” the statement said.
“Jobs are also at risk in the organisation’s head office in Dublin, but the numbers are still to be determined due to the fluidity of the situation,” it said.
In January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive to freeze foreign assistance and shut down the US Agency for International Development, although there have been legal challenges.
Concern receives funding from the United States, from USAID, as well as from bodies such as UNICEF and WFP, which are reliant on US funding.
It said that many of the countries worst effected by the aid cuts “are experiencing protracted conflicts, forcing a large percentage of their citizens to rely on humanitarian aid for their basic needs such as food, clean water and shelter.”
“These aid cuts will have a direct impact on the ability of organisations like Concern to continue to reach those who desperately need our support,” it added.
It said that programmes providing “essential services and support” across health care and education are being cut, and cash assistance has been halted.
Efforts to help displaced people through vocational training and business grants are also now on hold.
While agriculture programmes aimed at protecting farmers from drought and floods “face an uncertain future,” the aid organisation said.
Concern Worldwide thanked it staff “for their patience and understanding at an unprecedented time” and also said it was grateful for what it said was the “steadfast support” of many of its donors and supporters.
