# International Rescue Committee Uses AI to Aid Millions in Crisis Zones

> The International Rescue Committee is deploying artificial intelligence across its global operations to provide information, education, healthcare, and resettlement support to vulnerable populations.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-19T10:49:23.580728Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/international-rescue-committee-uses-ai-to-aid-millions-in-crisis-zones-ea02bdce

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is actively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its humanitarian efforts worldwide, with AI-powered agents supporting staff and directly engaging users in eight countries [2]. David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, states that this technology can deliver help to those most in need, mirroring its impact in Silicon Valley [1].

These AI applications are designed to enhance humanitarian response, address funding shortfalls, and extend critical services to displaced and vulnerable people globally [1][4][7]. With nearly 240 million people projected to require humanitarian aid in 2026, and global funding significantly reduced, AI offers a way to deliver more protection with fewer resources [8].

## What the records show

The IRC utilizes AI in several key areas. Its Signpost platform, which disseminates verified information, has reached over 20 million people worldwide [2][5]. Signpost AI-enabled agents have been piloted in eight countries, assisting frontline staff and, in some cases, directly engaging with users to provide critical, localized information [2][3][4]. These AI agents are built and safeguarded through an IRC platform developed with partners like Google.org, Zendesk, and Cisco [2].

In education, the IRC is applying AI-powered solutions to broaden access for displaced children. An education chatbot named AprendIA is currently being piloted in Bangladesh and Nigeria [3][10]. This tool allows educators to create interactive and personalized teaching content, adaptable to diverse humanitarian contexts, and is designed to be available on low-tech devices to expand its global reach [10].

For healthcare, the IRC uses AI to aid in disease detection in low-resource settings. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, AI-powered tools assist frontline health workers in diagnosing diseases such as mpox. This involves comparing photographs of lesions against a data set, allowing for diagnoses in five minutes instead of sending blood samples to distant labs [6].

To support refugee integration and economic opportunity, the IRC launched ALMA (AI for Life Mapping & Assistance). This AI-powered virtual assistant is available on WhatsApp in the United States and guides refugees through processes like employment, public services, and financial literacy [2][3][9].

The IRC also leverages AI for anticipatory action, aiming to facilitate early humanitarian intervention. This includes using satellite imagery, climate models, and AI-driven risk mapping to predict and respond to crises more proactively [8].

## What the subject has said publicly

David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, has publicly advocated for the strategic use of AI in humanitarian contexts. He noted in October 2026 that the same technology generating wealth in Silicon Valley could assist the least fortunate [1]. Miliband has also highlighted that AI agents are essential for bridging the gap between rising crisis volumes and funding constraints, providing critical assistance where human staff cannot keep pace with demand [4][7]. He emphasized that the risk is not in acting, but in inaction [1].

## What we could not confirm

The specific metrics and outcomes of the rigorous evaluation for efficiency gains, response quality, and unintended effects of the Signpost AI-enabled agents are not detailed in the available records [2]. The total budget allocated for these various AI initiatives across the IRC's global operations is also not specified.

## Evidence cited
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3. Artificial intelligence (AI) is creating new solutions for communities living through instability and displacement. From Bangladesh's ongoing political turmoil to Nigeria's Boko Haram–related violence and Afghanistan's post-2021 upheaval, millions continue to face barriers to basic services. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is applying AI in crisis zones to broaden access to education, trusted information and social support. This article explores how three IRC-supported innovations, apre (borgenproject.org) — https://borgenproject.org/
4. the initiative represents one of the first large-scale deployments of agentic AI in humanitarian settings with rest of world reporting that the IRC sees the technology as essential to bridging the gap between rising crisis volumes. and funding constraints. humanitarian AI agents deployed by IRC provide critical assistance to refugees as crisis outpace staff capacity. the International Rescue Committee is deploying purpose-built AI agents through its signpost program to provide information and as (youtube.com) — https://youtube.com/
5. More Humanitarian Organizations Will Harness AI's Potential. More Humanitarian Organizations Will Harness AI's Potential. BOY ANTHONY | Shutterstock. David Miliband, President and CEO of International Rescue Committee (IRC), provides a concise overview of recent AI initiatives in humanitarian crises. Examples include: Information – Signpost is a platform that provides timely, accurate, and context-specific information on who to trust and where to find services and safety, essential information f (pubkgroup.com) — https://pubkgroup.com/
6. Welcome to the community, to the Council on Foreign Relations meeting “Forecasting Humanitarian Risk in 2026” with International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband. I am Andrea Mitchell, chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News, and I will be presiding over today's discussion. We're joined today by CFR members and IRC guests attending both virtually and in person here in Washington. I'd like to invite David to the podium ... I'm incredibl (cfr.org) — https://cfr.org/
7. Global Aid Cuts Weaken Humanitarian Response as Crises Intensify. Binance News. Now・Verified Binance official account. Follow. Report. Block User. International Rescue Committee President and CEO David Miliband said cuts in US and European aid are weakening the humanitarian response as conflicts and other crises intensify worldwide, according to Bloomberg. In an interview with Bloomberg This Weekend hosts David Gura and Christina Ruffini, he discussed conditions in Ukraine, Yemen and Sudan, the  (binance.com) — https://binance.com/
8. Satellite imagery, climate models and AI-driven risk mapping can help facilitate early humanitarian action.Image: REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh. Avatar Image. David Miliband. President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rescue Committee. Centre for Regions, ... Nearly 240 million people will require humanitarian aid in 2026, yet global funding has fallen by more than half. How do we deliver more protection with fewer resources, in harder places, under greater risk? It's time for the humanit (weforum.org) — https://weforum.org/
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19. The Coca-Cola Foundation partners with the IRC to Scale Anticipatory Action Responses Across Africa - FundsforNGOs (fundsforngos.org) — https://fundsforngos.org/
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21. FOLLOW THE FORECAST: ANTICIPATORY ACTION IN FRAGILE SETTINGS (voiceeu.org) — https://voiceeu.org/
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