Challenge
Refugees and other people affected by political unrest and humanitarian crises struggle to access key services such as clean water, healthcare, and education. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these longstanding challenges, making it harder for vulnerable populations to access food and adequate healthcare.
Solution and Impact
Political risk insurance supports the work of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a relief agency that responds to humanitarian crises around the world. By protecting against losses resulting from forced abandonment or expropriation, this insurance enables IRC to support displaced people, provide emergency health and sanitation services, stem gender-based violence, and respond to disease outbreaks. IRC is working to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in regions with limited access to healthcare, by introducing telemedicine to provide healthcare remotely, delivering medicine to communities in quarantine, and educating people about disease prevention. DFC’s insurance supports this work in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East including Georgia, Iraq, Niger, and Zimbabwe.