I have friends who do humanitarian work in Afghanistan and they give the IRC a glowing recommendation, based on the work they have seen them doing. The IRC is exceptionally effective, in part because they are on the ground in the trouble spot longer than many other organizations, and in part because they make such good use of local people and their expertise and social networks. They seem to be the experts on water and sanitation, two of the most urgent components of many crises. And the portion of your dollar that goes to the work itself is probably the highest I've seen.