The IRA is WFP’s life-saving funding facility, which allows WFP to rapidly respond to emergencies. IRA-financed assistance can be deployed within 24 hours of the onset of a crisis. Contributions to the IRA have the highest degree of flexibility and are non-earmarked. This allows WFP’s executive leadership to identify priority operations. As it consists of multilateral funding, the IRA reinforces the principles of timeliness, predictability and flexibility.