The International Labour Organization (ILO) has strengthened Myanmar’s capacity for post-earthquake recovery and community resilience through a specialized training initiative conducted in partnership with China. The “Capacity-Building Training for Post-Earthquake Recovery in Myanmar” was held online from 13–14 August 2025, bringing together over 50 participants, including vocational trainers, emergency responders, educators, and community leaders from… [Read More]
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AfDB to Boost African Food Security Investments at Africa Food Systems Forum
The African Development Bank (AfDB) will host a high-level side event titled “From Pledges to Plates: Financing Africa’s Agriculture and Food Systems” on 3 September 2025 in Diamnadio, Dakar, Senegal, with livestream access for global participants. This event, held alongside the Africa Food Systems Forum, aims to foster dialogue, share lessons, and strengthen collaboration among… [Read More]
Ethiopia’s Urban Program Generates Over One Million Jobs, Strengthening Livelihoods
The Ethiopia Urban Institutional and Infrastructure Development Program (UIIDP), supported by the World Bank, has created over 1.15 million jobs while improving infrastructure and living conditions in 117 cities, benefiting more than 6.6 million people. The program strengthened local governance and financial systems, enabling cities to plan, deliver, and sustain employment-generating urban development, even amid… [Read More]
Energy for All: Accelerating Universal Energy Access in Mozambique
Mozambique has made significant strides in expanding electricity access, nearly doubling its electrification rate from 31 percent in 2018 to 60 percent by the end of 2024. This achievement, benefitting around 9.5 million people, is largely attributed to the World Bank-supported ProEnergia project, which forms part of Mozambique’s National Energy for All Program. ProEnergia has… [Read More]
Ethiopia Strengthens Livelihoods Through Poultry Farming Initiatives
Imran Abba Jihad, a disabled farmer in southwest Ethiopia, has transformed his livelihood through poultry farming under the Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP). Before joining the project, Imran had no income-generating activities and limited experience in poultry farming, leaving his family of five vulnerable to food insecurity. In 2023, he joined the Kena… [Read More]
Charting Inclusive Futures: Free to Be Me Economic Empowerment Forum Empowers Women
More than 100 business executives, civil society leaders, and diplomats gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for the Free to Be Me Economic Empowerment Forum, addressing the growing social and economic exclusion faced by LGBTIQ+ communities. Hosted by Workplace Pride, Hivos, and the Netherlands Embassy, the three-day event provided a regional platform to design inclusive economic systems… [Read More]
Over 500 Days Under Siege: Women and Girls in El Fasher at Risk of Starvation
For over 500 days, women and girls in El Fasher, North Darfur, have endured a relentless siege, facing extreme risks of starvation, indiscriminate bombardment, and sexual violence. Cut off from humanitarian aid and protection, they are surviving under famine-level conditions, with food stocks depleted and families resorting to eating animal feed and tree leaves. The… [Read More]
GoB, China, and UNDP Launch Innovative Urban Livelihoods Project
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), has launched the Livelihoods Support for Urban Poor Communities in Bangladesh (LSUPCB) project in Dhaka. Funded through the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund under CIDCA’s leadership, the initiative… [Read More]
EU Provides €9 Million for Biodiversity and Community Development Projects in Sierra Leone
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has received a €9 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to launch a three-year project aimed at reducing biodiversity loss and enhancing the livelihoods of communities living in and around protected areas in Sierra Leone. The initiative, titled Nature Nourishes Territorial Approach for Local Development (NN-TALD), is… [Read More]
WFP Delivers Urgent Food Aid to Afghanistan’s Earthquake-Affected Communities
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]
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]
