Concern Worldwide made a significant impact on the lives of 30 million people last year, according to their 2023 annual report.

Concern’s chief executive David Regan warned the work must be supported by real political and economic efforts to end conflict, build peace and tackle climate change.

The numbers of people globally who are in need of humanitarian assistance at the end of 2023 has reached 363.3 million – an increase of 37 million over the year.

In contrast, just 38 per cent of appeals for humanitarian funding were met over the last 12 months.

During 2023, Concern launched an emergency response to the growing needs in Yemen, where nine years of conflict have left 21 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.

“We live in a time of crisis, fuelled by conflict, climate change and inequality, and the international community must respond to the needs of the most vulnerable who are also those most impacted.

“Humanitarian organisations alone cannot address this scale of crisis.  We need those who can end conflict, build peace and urgently address the climate crisis – the major drivers of extreme poverty in the world.

“2023 was a very challenging year with the dramatic rise in humanitarian needs. But Concern – with the support of the public, governments, institutional and corporate funders – responded  to work with communities living in some of the most difficult circumstances in the world,” Mr Regan said.

“We are proud of the work we did in 2023 and the lasting impact it had on millions of people living in extreme poverty. But, as the numbers of people in need of humanitarian assistance grow, it’s vital that sufficient funding is made available by the international community to enable organisations like Concern respond.”

A total of 23 of the 26 countries where Concern works are ranked in the top 50 most conflict affected countries in the world.

Last year Concern spent €242.3m, €1.5 million more than in 2022. Of this, 92.7 per cent was used for charitable activities and the balance on fundraising.

The organisation’s income last year was €233 million, down €17 million on 2022.

Of this, €45.4 million came from public donations and legacies in Ireland, the UK and South Korea, including €27.2 million from the Republic of Ireland. A further €173.6 million came from grants from governments and other institutional donors.

The highlights of Concern’s work during 2023 include:

Concern responded to 66 emergencies in 20 countries, reaching almost 15.5 million people. These included almost 250,000 impacted by the Turkiye/Syria earthquake, 346,000 people in war-torn Sudan and over 144,000 in Ukraine;

Its livelihoods programme reached 2.3 million people, providing food security and livelihoods;

These included 352,000 people in Malawi where the programme focused on agriculture, and food and nutrition security, while also building the resilience of communities against the impact of climate change;

Its health programmes reached over nine million people in 21 countries;

In South Sudan, where 56 per cent of the population face high levels of food insecurity, Concern supported nutrition services in 39 centres, reaching almost 131,000 people with both preventative and curative services;

Its education programmes benefited over 1.1 million people. Concern reached almost 95,000 people in Niger, despite the recurrent humanitarian crises there driven by conflict and political unrest.