Test your knowledge
Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of a big city or the relaxing quiet of the countryside, the familiarity of home is different to each one of us, but should offer comfort to us all.
This quiz will test your knowledge of the places around the world people call home. Can you guess where these photos were taken?
This photo one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world was taken in 2011—but which city is it?
Aleppo has sat at the crossroads of ancient trade routes since the second millennium B.C. But just over a decade of war has devastated this city rich in history and culture, killing thousands of people and leaving millions without a safe place to call home.
Since 2012, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has assisted over 1 million people in Syria with urgent medical care, job training and cash relief. We also create safe spaces for women survivors of violence, provide early childhood education that helps young Syrians become more resilient, and offer small business support as part of programs to build families' economic stability.
Through partnering with the Syrian Expatriate Medical Association, our teams have provided nutrition services and psychosocial support to displaced families.
“I learned a lot of good things from [the community health workers] …. They also helped me with my daughter Sarra who was suffering from severe malnutrition, so they transferred her to a hospital where she stayed for two months… now, my daughter’s health is very good.”
— Najwan*, a displaced Syrian mother of six whose 3-year-old daughter was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition.
*Some last names in this article have been omitted for privacy and safety reasons.
These misty mountains are in a national park that is home to endangered primates. In which country?
This is the view from the top of Mt. Kahuzi in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a rainforest preserve in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where eastern lowland gorillas roam.
In November 2021, fighting in eastern Congo drove over 11,000 people—mostly women and children—into neighboring Uganda, where the IRC is helping refugees make a new start.
The IRC first began working in Congo in 1996, providing emergency assistance and humanitarian aid to people affected by violence and uprooted from their homes. Today, we partner with local communities, supporting them to work together on peace-building projects and making sure young girls are enrolled and succeeding in school. We also provide counseling, medical care and legal assistance to survivors of sexual assault.
“It really makes me feel good working with women and girls to teach them to depend on themselves, that they are able to take care of themselves. But also to give them information about the services available because too often we women ignore our rights. In my heart, I feel very proud and very happy to work with women and girls.”
– Cristelle Zaninka Chirimpuhwe, IRC women’s protection and empowerment manager in Congo
In which city were these brick skyscrapers, named UNESCO World Heritage sites, photographed?
These soaring, traditional mud-brick buildings—hundreds of years old—were once what made Yemen famous. Now war keeps Yemen in the headlines.
After seven years of conflict, Yemen is facing one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time. IRC teams are there providing lifesaving emergency aid, medical care, women’s protection and clean water to millions of people affected by violence and a growing health crisis. We also help children access the education they need to choose their own futures.
“No one was expecting [my children] to live…. Now, I tell them, Abdo and Asma, you are the children of the IRC, because they are the ones who saved your lives. After my children survived, I used to go to sleep praying for [the IRC health workers] and get up praying for them as if they were my own family members.”
– Asriya, 28, a mother of 9-month-old twins who received treatment for malnutrition from an IRC mobile health team in Yemen.
Can you guess which country this city center is from?
This photo was taken in the city center of Kyiv in 2017. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv was a bustling metropolis known for its high-tech industries, educational institutions, and historical landmarks.
In the initial weeks of the conflict, millions of Ukrainians were forced to flee their homes. The IRC’s emergency response teams in Ukraine and Poland were there to provide blankets, sleeping bags, warm clothes, cash assistance and more to displaced families and we will stay for as long as we are needed.
This tranquil beach is one of many in a country said to have some of the best surfing in the world. Which country is it?
World-class waves draw surfers to El Salvador’s Pacific coast. At the same time, thousands of Salvadorans are uprooted by growing violence that extends from the streets into their homes.
The IRC first began working in El Salvador in 1984 during the civil war, which forced as many as 800,000 people to leave their homes. Today we help displaced Salvadorans access information about health care, where to find shelter, legal support and we provide cash assistance so that they can meet their needs. We also provide safe spaces for survivors of gender-based violence. Our CuéntaNos interactive information platform provides trustworthy, up-to-date information and strengthens coordination between service providers and government institutions.
“[El Salvador is] a country that has been through now multiple generations of intense trauma, that trans-generational experience of trauma, and [has] people who are incredibly resilient. They're survivors. They're fighters. They have carried on and created and grown despite all of this.”
– Meghan Lopez, IRC country director in El Salvador
No matter where people are in the world, they deserve a safe place to call home. But that safety can be taken away in an instant.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is on the ground in more than 40 countries affected by conflict and crisis, providing people with the support they need to survive and rebuild their lives. We can only do this thanks to ongoing support from people like you.
Will you take two minutes to make a donation to support our work?
Photo credits: 1: Craig Jenkins, 2: Forest Service / Olivia Freeman, 3: Rod Waddington, 4: stratum, 5: _Higher_
