cat

Throughout 2025, the Watford Community Fund provided over £43,000 in support to local organisations, making a tangible difference in the lives of residents across the town. Funding supported a wide range of initiatives, from vibrant cultural festivals and community picnics to vital counselling services and crisis support, reflecting the Fund’s commitment to addressing both social… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat have signed their first-ever partnership to promote sustainable global trade and investment. The Memorandum of Understanding aims to remove barriers to trade and investment, expand opportunities for partner countries, and create new markets for European businesses. This agreement will combine EIB financial… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has pledged more than €1 billion in financing for renewable energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa to support the goals of Mission 300, an initiative launched by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group aimed at connecting 300 million people to electricity by 2030. EIB Group President Nadia Calviño… [Read More]

Colombo, Sri Lanka, 27 February 2026: The European Union has announced an additional allocation of €1 million (over LKR 370 million) to help address the ongoing humanitarian impact of Tropical Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka. This funding aims to support affected communities and enhance existing relief efforts throughout the country. Administered through humanitarian partner organizations,… [Read More]

Chile has become the first country in the Americas and the second globally to be officially verified by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the elimination of leprosy. The achievement recognizes over three decades of sustained public health efforts, including robust surveillance, early detection, effective treatment, continuous follow-up, and comprehensive care for affected individuals. Since… [Read More]

The UN warns that women’s rights are facing significant setbacks worldwide as democratic backsliding, rising conflicts, economic pressures, and shrinking civic spaces intensify. According to a report by UN Women titled Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls, legal systems in many countries are failing to protect women, with laws being… [Read More]

The Government of Canada is providing $2.14 million in federal support to the Okanagan Indian Band through the Crime Prevention Action Fund to strengthen youth crime prevention initiatives. This funding will support a community-led program for Indigenous youth aged 14 to 25, focusing on building confidence, leadership, and connection through culturally grounded activities based on… [Read More]

The Government of Canada is investing $500,000 in Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick, to strengthen community services and support local economic growth. Announced by Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Member of Parliament for Madawaska–Restigouche, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, the funding will support the expansion of La Moisson public library, including the addition of three multi-purpose rooms to… [Read More]

Six years ago, Dilafruze Hudoikulova relied on daily medication to manage constant stomach pain caused by a chronic ulcer. Over time, she transformed her health by adopting small, practical changes in her diet, physical activity, and overall approach to wellness, allowing her to reduce her dependence on medication. Working at the Republican Center for Healthy… [Read More]

Vientiane, Lao PDR – On 2 March 2026, the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, in partnership with the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), launched the National Action Plan on Transition toward Sustainable Food Systems Transformation (2025–2030). The plan was unveiled by… [Read More]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has raised alarm over escalating hostilities along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border and their growing humanitarian impact. The ongoing conflict along the Durand Line has caused civilian casualties, damaged critical infrastructure, and displaced nearly 66,000 people in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan. These developments threaten further displacement, accelerate returns, and place additional… [Read More]

On 3 March 2026, Greece formally ratified the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155), the Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023 (No. 191), and the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, depositing the instruments with the ILO Director-General, Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo. Ambassador Ioannis Ghikas highlighted that full… [Read More]

The global gender pay gap remains persistently high despite decades of commitments, and closing it requires coordinated action and deliberate policies, according to a new publication from the International Labour Organization (ILO). The report, Pay Equity: A Comprehensive Response to the Gender Pay Gap, introduces a Theory of Change and Intervention Model emphasizing that laws,… [Read More]

WASHINGTON, March 3, 2026 — The World Bank has approved a new phase of support for Ethiopia’s safety nets under the Productive Safety Net Project 6 (PSNP 6), designed to strengthen food security, build climate resilience, create jobs, and support vulnerable households. Ethiopian families are facing mounting pressures from frequent droughts, rising food prices, and… [Read More]

TUNIS, March 4, 2026 — The World Bank and the Government of Tunisia are expanding their partnership to strengthen the country’s climate and disaster resilience through an additional US$50 million financing for the Tunisia Integrated Disaster Resilience Program (ResCat), bringing the total program to US$125 million. This scale-up focuses on urban flood protection in Western… [Read More]

NAIROBI, March 5, 2026 — The World Bank Group’s latest report emphasizes that targeted, cost-effective investments in climate-smart agriculture, resilient cities, disaster risk management, and stronger institutions could cut Somalia’s projected economic losses by half while creating stable, productive jobs. Launched jointly with the Somali government, the Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) highlights how… [Read More]

GENEVA – The humanitarian situation across the Middle East is rapidly evolving due to ongoing security developments, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is operational and ready to scale its response as needs grow. Emergency preparedness measures have been activated across the region, allowing WFP country offices in Iran, Türkiye, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon,… [Read More]

Afghanistan is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis as insecurity escalates along its borders. Fighting has intensified on the eastern and southern frontier with Pakistan, while violence continues on the western border with Iran, putting immense pressure on communities already weakened by years of conflict, natural disasters, and chronic poverty. The renewed violence has displaced approximately… [Read More]

The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) has approved Belize’s new country strategy for 2026–2030, aligned with the National Development Plan “Plan Belize 2.0.” The strategy aims to promote sustained, inclusive growth and fiscal stability by boosting private-sector-led investment, with a particular focus on leveraging Belize’s natural capital. Building on strong recent performance in tourism,… [Read More]

DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN (4 March 2026) — Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda met with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon to reaffirm ADB’s commitment to supporting resilient, diversified, and inclusive growth that generates more and better jobs across the country. ADB plans to provide approximately $1.1 billion in support from 2026 to 2028, focusing on strengthening… [Read More]

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $9.57 million grant to enhance health security and emergency preparedness across countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Approved on 3 March 2026, this financing comes from the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group and will support the Resilient… [Read More]

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government of Jamaica, in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has allocated $153 million in the 2026/27 fiscal year to the “Capacity Building for Education and Livelihoods Development Project,” implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF). The initiative focuses on reducing poverty in low-income, vulnerable communities through livelihood enhancement… [Read More]

Cambridgeshire County Council has approved the procurement of a new data-led system designed to provide more targeted support to low-income families and help prevent poverty. The decision follows recommendations from the 2025 Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission, which emphasized the need to ensure residents access all benefits they are entitled to while reducing avoidable financial outgoings…. [Read More]