Corus International Marks World Humanitarian Day with Poverty-Ending Innovation and Impact

Corus reports life-improving and community-empowering momentum in confronting extreme poverty and humanitarian crises across the world

Corus International — an international non-governmental organization serving nearly 50 countries across six continents — is marking World Humanitarian Day by spotlighting the sustainable development programs, public health aid and disaster assistance it is spearheading in 2026.

Corus is on a mission to end and prevent poverty around the world through five empowering fundamentals — a safe place to live, nutritious food, quality health care, knowledge to grow, and an income to sustain these cornerstones of individual self-reliance and community resilience.

Corus International President and CEO Ambassador Daniel Speckhard said, “World Humanitarian Day is a moment to recognize the importance of effective, locally led humanitarian action and the tens of thousands of humanitarian heroes across the planet. I am also very proud of the role Corus is playing in strengthening the systems and partnerships that help communities withstand crisis and recover. As we build the INGO of the future, Corus is embedding innovation, market-driven solutions and a commitment to lasting impact across everything we do. Our renewed momentum in 2026 reflects the strength of our model and our ability to deliver effective, efficient and sustainable programs worldwide. We are confident that our integrated approach to development will continue to drive growth and expand our impact in the second half of 2026 and beyond.”

From responding to emergencies to strengthening health systems, keeping children in school and connecting farmers to markets, Corus teams and local partners are putting these fundamentals into action every day.

Respond and Protect People

Humanitarian action begins before disaster strikes. As part of a World Vision-led consortium of faith-based organizations, Corus is supporting a historic $238 million U.S. Department of State Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response initiative to deliver lifesaving assistance and strengthen disaster preparedness across more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Corus’ $6 million portfolio spans the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Vietnam, Nepal, Peru and El Salvador — all countries where Corus already works.

This year, Corus has also worked alongside communities and local partners to provide rapid assistance following natural disasters, helping people meet urgent needs and begin recovery. In Spokane, Washington, Corus responded to devastating wildfires; in Texas, it provided emergency assistance following catastrophic flooding; in Venezuela, support is reaching earthquake survivors through mobile health clinics; and in Jamaica, mobile clinics are helping communities recover from Hurricane Melissa.

Help Communities Recover and Rebuild

When crisis strikes, humanitarian workers are often among the first to respond — protecting lives while helping communities maintain essential services. In the DRC, Corus is leading a $27 million U.S. Department of State-funded Ebola response. Working with national and provincial health authorities, Corus is helping contain the outbreak, protect frontline health workers and sustain essential services. So far in 2026, the program has trained more than 800 frontline health workers and supported infection prevention and control assessments at 200 health facilities.

Recovery also depends on strengthening the systems people rely on every day. In Côte d’Ivoire, Corus recently signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of National Education, Literacy and Technical Education to support four pilot programs focused on school feeding through local agriculture, improving conditions for teachers, building technical skills in modern cocoa production and supporting student reintegration in cocoa-growing areas. The partnership builds on Corus’ broader education work in Africa, including Sierra Leone, where its Girls in School program combines technology, financial support and nutrition to help vulnerable girls return to school and stay there.

Build Resilience for What Comes Next

Long-term humanitarian impact means helping communities build the resources, systems and opportunities they need to withstand future shocks. In Tanzania, Corus and the Cereals and Other Produce Regulatory Authority (COPRA) have built a national cocoa database, registered more than 26,000 farmers, mapped more than 30,000 farms and connected 60 cooperatives to a traceability system, helping farmers maintain access to key export markets as the sector prepares for the EU Deforestation Regulation.

In Ecuador, Corus teams are working with communities, producers, businesses and international partners to strengthen workforce skills and expand employment and income opportunities, helping people improve their livelihoods while enabling businesses and Ecuadorian products, including Ecuador’s world-renowned cocoa, to compete in higher-value markets. In Uganda, an investment from Acumen is helping Mountain Harvest, a specialty coffee company owned by Corus’ impact investing arm, expand infrastructure and connect more than 1,000 smallholder farmers to premium export markets.

Corus is also applying technology and innovation to strengthen the systems that underpin resilience. Cadasta joined the Corus family in June 2026, bringing expertise in geospatial technology, land documentation and community mapping to strengthen future work on land rights, livelihoods and resilience. Separately, EDUSER — a digital learner enrollment system developed by Corus — successfully piloted in Kasai Province in the DRC, where government teams registered nearly 10,000 learners across 20 schools. The pilot provided reliable education data for national examination planning and helped identify vulnerable groups who might otherwise be overlooked, demonstrating how practical technology can strengthen public systems and decision-making at scale.

From emergency response to long-term development, Corus works alongside communities and local partners to meet urgent needs while strengthening the foundations for more stable and resilient futures. Together, these efforts reflect Corus’ integrated approach to addressing the fundamentals every family needs to thrive: a safe place to live, nutritious food, quality health care, knowledge to grow and an income to sustain them. This World Humanitarian Day, Corus recognizes the people and partnerships that make humanitarian action possible and the work they do every day to help communities move from crisis toward lasting resilience.

About Corus International

Corus International is a global organization working to end poverty through integrated, locally led solutions. Corus brings together expertise in humanitarian response, health, agriculture, livelihoods, education and technology to help communities meet urgent needs, withstand crisis, recover and build lasting resilience. Through Corus and its organizations — including IMA World Health, Lutheran World Relief, CGA Technologies, Ground Up Investing, Cadasta and Farmers Market Brands — the organization combines local expertise, technology and market-based approaches to address urgent challenges while creating pathways for long-term progress.

Guided by its Five Fundamentals — Place, Nutrition, Health, Knowledge and Income — Corus takes a holistic approach to strengthening the foundations every family needs to thrive. Corus works alongside communities and local partners to respond when crises strike while helping build more resilient systems, stronger livelihoods and a more secure future.

For more information, visit corusinternational.org.

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