The World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently delivering food assistance to communities in eastern Afghanistan following a powerful 6.0-magnitude earthquake on Sunday, August 31, which killed hundreds and affected thousands more. Initial relief efforts include distributing High Energy Biscuits to quake-affected areas near the Pakistan border and dispatching mobile storage units to support broader emergency… [Read More]
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Over One Billion People Live with Mental Health Conditions, Urgent Action Needed
More than one billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions, according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO), with disorders such as anxiety and depression causing profound human suffering and significant economic losses. While many countries have strengthened their mental health policies and programs, global investment and action remain insufficient to… [Read More]
UN Experts Raise Alarm Over Rising Human Rights Violations in Burundi Amid Elections
UN experts have expressed serious concern over a surge in human rights violations in Burundi, particularly in the context of the 2025 election period. Attacks against civil society, political opponents, and citizens have been reported, highlighting a climate of intimidation and impunity. Between January 2024 and May 2025, civil society organizations documented at least 200… [Read More]
Cameroon’s Civic Space Restrictions Threaten Democratic Elections, Warns UN Chief Türk
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed concern over growing restrictions on civic and democratic space in Cameroon ahead of the presidential election scheduled for October. He warned that the current environment raises serious doubts about whether voters will be able to freely express their will, urging the government to take… [Read More]
The Gambia’s Economy Sustains Strong Growth Despite Global Challenges
The Gambia’s economy has shown steady resilience and recovery, recording a real GDP growth of 5.7% in 2024, according to the World Bank’s Fifth Economic Update for the country. This performance underscores the nation’s successful recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ability to withstand persistent global economic challenges. Growth in 2024… [Read More]
Zimbabwe Empowers Officers with GIS Skills to Proactively Mitigate Disasters
TLG Capital, a private credit fund manager with a focus on Africa, has officially launched a $2 million senior secured credit line to support an undisclosed company within Uganda’s health sector. This funding, announced on September 1, is designed to help the company expand its operations and improve public access to essential medicines throughout the… [Read More]
EU Provides €1M and 130 Tonnes of Aid for Afghanistan Earthquake Victims
In response to the recent earthquake in north-eastern Afghanistan, the EU has committed €1 million in emergency humanitarian funding to support relief efforts. This funding, which will be channeled through existing humanitarian partners on the ground, aims to address the most urgent needs of the affected population. Additionally, the EU will donate around 130 tonnes… [Read More]
TLG Capital Launches $2M Credit Line to Boost Uganda’s Health Sector
TLG Capital, an African private credit fund manager, has established a $2 million senior secured credit line in Uganda’s health sector to support an unnamed company in expanding access to essential medicines nationwide. This initiative marks TLG’s 12th health sector investment in Africa and its 48th overall, demonstrating a continued focus on impact investing across… [Read More]
Safeena Husain’s Educate Girls Wins 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award — Historic First for Indian NGO
Educate Girls, an Indian non-profit founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain, has become the first Indian organisation to receive the prestigious 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award. The NGO focuses on empowering out-of-school girls in remote villages by mobilizing communities and collaborating with government systems to enrol girls, ensure their retention in school, and challenge cultural stereotypes… [Read More]
Aid Efforts Underway After Devastating Earthquake Wipes Out Afghan Villages
The UN Secretary-General expressed full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan following a devastating earthquake that struck the country, offering condolences to the victims’ families and wishing a swift recovery for the injured. The UN team in Afghanistan is actively mobilized to assist those affected in the impacted regions. Several UN agencies reported widespread destruction… [Read More]
UNDP Empowers Border Communities with Livelihood Support and Office Equipment in Sawla–Tuna–Kalba and Tempane
Peace and security are crucial for sustainable development, especially in Ghana’s border districts, where communities grapple with poverty, conflict, and the threat of violent extremism. As part of the Preventive Approach to Protecting Development in the Gulf of Guinea (Prevention Facility) project, UNDP Ghana, funded by the Governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Republic of… [Read More]
Heifer International Calls for Youth-Led Agricultural Innovation to Fight Africa’s Hunger Crisis
Heifer International has called on African governments, development partners, and investors to focus on youth-driven agricultural innovations and community-led solutions as Africa faces a growing hunger crisis. The organisation emphasized this need ahead of the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) 2025 in Dakar, highlighting alarming data from the 2025 State of Food Security and Nutrition… [Read More]
Human Security Approach Boosts Community Resilience in Sierra Leone’s Kono District
The workshop in Sierra Leone’s Kono District brought together Paramount Chiefs, Village Development Committees, Peace Mothers, local leaders, development officers, and representatives from UNDP and FAO to assess the impact of a human security-focused project. Participants also discussed how this approach could be integrated into the country’s decentralization efforts through the Wan Fambul Framework (WFF)…. [Read More]
Poland: Twitter/X Enables Spread of Anti-LGBTI Hate and Harassment
X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has been found to contribute significantly to the spread of targeted hate against LGBTI people in Poland, according to a new Amnesty International report. The report, titled ‘A Thousand Cuts’: Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against Poland’s LGBTI Community on X, provides the first analysis of the platform’s… [Read More]
Gates Foundation and WHO Collaborate to Support 465,000 Flood-Affected People in Pakistan
The Gates Foundation has pledged a donation of US$1 million to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO) partnership with Pakistan, aimed at strengthening preparedness and response efforts in 33 high-risk and flood-affected districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab, and Balochistan. This initiative seeks to meet the urgent health needs of approximately 465,000 of the most… [Read More]
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month 2025: Supporting Young Warriors and Their Families
Globally, approximately 400,000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year, equating to three children every four minutes. The vast majority of these cases—90%—occur in low- and middle-income countries, where survival rates are alarmingly low, with only about 20% of diagnosed children surviving. In contrast, children in high-income countries have a survival rate exceeding 80%. This… [Read More]
Amid Localized Chikungunya Outbreaks and Oropouche Cases, PAHO Calls for Enhanced Surveillance and Vector Control in the Americas
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen surveillance, clinical management, and vector control to combat localized chikungunya outbreaks and the ongoing circulation of the Oropouche virus (OROV) across countries in the Americas. The co-circulation of these and other arboviruses raises the risk of outbreaks, severe health complications, and fatalities,… [Read More]
South Africa Marks African Traditional Medicine Day with National Celebration
On 29 August 2025, South Africa held a vibrant national commemoration of African Traditional Medicine Day in Moruleng, Moses Kotane Local Municipality. The event reaffirmed the country’s dedication to integrating traditional medicine into its national health system. It was attended by Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla, the Chairperson of the Interim Traditional Medicine… [Read More]
Rising Uncertainty in Global Trade: A Hidden Tariff Hurting Developing Economies
Global trade has long been impacted by shocks such as tariffs, pandemics, and geopolitical tensions. However, what sets the current situation apart is that uncertainty itself has become a systemic feature of the global economy. Unlike isolated incidents, policy unpredictability is now embedded within the trade landscape, altering trade patterns and slowing down investment. The… [Read More]
IOCAFRICA and South Africa Launch Floating Ocean Classroom to Train Future Marine Scientists
UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) has long collaborated with the Government of South Africa to strengthen ocean science and sustainable development on the continent. This enduring partnership has supported regional capacity-building and policy engagement, exemplified most recently by SEAmester VIII — South Africa’s flagship floating classroom programme. Conducted… [Read More]
ARC Awards $18.4 Million to Fund 16 New Indigenous-Led Research Projects
The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced $18.4 million in funding for 16 new projects under its Discovery Indigenous scheme. This initiative is dedicated to supporting research led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, while also building capacity among higher degree students and early career researchers from Indigenous communities. The newly funded projects will… [Read More]
Philippines Strengthens Labour Rights with New Freedom of Association Training Initiative
The Freedom of Association (FOA) Training of Trainers (TOT) Programme has been launched in the Philippines through a partnership between the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed at strengthening labour rights and democratic values. This pilot initiative in Luzon seeks to create a core group of trainers and… [Read More]
Jordan and ILO Collaborate on Workshop to Drive Formal Economy Transition
The Ministry of Labour in Jordan, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has launched a three-day national workshop in Amman to accelerate the country’s transition from the informal to the formal economy. The event brought together over 70 representatives from ministries, government institutions, civil society organizations, and social partners to shape a comprehensive… [Read More]
