The United States has announced the suspension of all assistance to the government of Somalia following allegations that Somali officials destroyed a World Food Programme warehouse containing US-funded food aid. According to a statement shared on social media by the US State Department, 76 metric tonnes of donor-funded food intended for vulnerable Somalis were allegedly… [Read More]
DEQ Launches New Grant Program for Water Quality Protection Projects
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is inviting nonprofit organizations and government entities to apply for approximately $1.5 million in grant funding to support nonpoint source pollution reduction projects across the state. Eligible applicants must submit draft applications by February 20, 2026. The funding is aimed at improving water quality in Montana’s lakes, streams, and… [Read More]
Montana 250th Commission Grants Almost $420,000 to 32 Groups Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary
The Montana 250th Commission has announced the recipients of its statewide grant program, awarding a total of $419,721 to 32 organizations across Montana to support projects commemorating America’s 250th anniversary in 2026. The funded initiatives are designed to deepen public understanding of Montana’s diverse culture and heritage while fostering meaningful connections to the nation’s semiquincentennial…. [Read More]
Protecting Federal Programs Is Essential to Fulfilling U.S. Trust and Treaty Duties
On December 24, 2025, the Native American Rights Fund filed an amicus brief supporting an injunction that blocked a sweeping federal funding freeze directed by the Office of Management and Budget in January 2025. The injunction prevents the enforcement of the original directive as well as similar future policies. The brief was submitted on behalf… [Read More]
U.S. Must Fulfill Its Obligations by Safeguarding Critical Programs
On December 24, 2025, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) filed an amicus brief in support of an injunction that blocks the sweeping federal funding freeze imposed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in January 2025. The injunction prevents not only the original freeze but also any similar funding restrictions the Administration might… [Read More]
New $6.5M Funding Boost Ensures Performing Artists Lead in Technology Innovation
The Doris Duke Foundation (DDF), in partnership with the Mozilla Foundation, has announced a $6.5 million commitment to their new initiative, Artists Make Technology (AMT), aimed at placing performing artists at the center of technological innovation. Launching on January 7, 2026, AMT seeks to dismantle systemic barriers that have historically excluded artists from shaping technology,… [Read More]
Baring Foundation Upholds Racial Equity as Core to Its Programmes
The Baring Foundation is committing an additional £3 million in funding over the next five years to advance racial justice through its grant-making. This follows an initial £3 million commitment made in 2020, which was distributed through the Foundation’s UK Arts and Strengthening Civil Society programmes between 2021 and 2025 and concluded this year. The… [Read More]
Promoting Women’s Health in The Hills Through Menstrual Education
In Merung, one of the most remote unions in Khagrachari, part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, menstrual health was long a silent struggle. Limited awareness and the high cost of sanitary pads often kept girls out of school and left women enduring discomfort. The situation is now changing through UNDP Bangladesh’s Women and Girls Empowerment… [Read More]
Nation-Leading Community Service Agreement Rolled Out by NSW Government
The Minns Labor Government in NSW has introduced a landmark agreement aimed at providing greater job security and long-term funding certainty for the community services sector, benefiting nearly a quarter of a million workers. This initiative fulfills the government’s Secure Jobs and Funding Certainty election commitment through the establishment of a new Community Services Funding… [Read More]
Aid Policy in 2026: Key Drivers and Emerging Trends
As 2026 begins, the global humanitarian system is facing a crisis of trust, legitimacy, and resources. Humanitarian agencies are being asked to do more with far less, while major donors show limited appetite for reform and sometimes exacerbate the crises they are meant to address. The sector is caught between appealing to public solidarity and… [Read More]
30 Local Art Projects Receive Grants from Tacoma Arts Commission
The Tacoma Arts Commission has awarded $147,000 in Community Arts Projects funding to 30 Tacoma organizations, groups, and businesses to support public outreach projects in 2026. The funding aims to make arts experiences accessible, community-centered, and reflective of Tacoma’s diverse cultures, bringing dance, music, theater, visual, and cross-disciplinary arts directly into neighborhoods and fostering connection,… [Read More]
Ethiopia’s Displaced: Struggles, Survival, and Resilience
Across Ethiopia, millions of families have been uprooted by conflict, natural disasters, and climate shocks, joining refugees from neighboring countries in a shared search for safety. More than 4.5 million people are internally displaced within Ethiopia, while over a million refugees have crossed borders seeking shelter. Most of these individuals depend heavily on humanitarian aid… [Read More]
Aid Agencies Barred from the OPT: What We Know About the Access Crisis
On 30 December, Israel announced that it would revoke the licenses of 37 international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The affected organisations include prominent agencies such as the Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, ActionAid, World Vision International, Oxfam, Care International, and Médecins Sans Frontières. The move has drawn… [Read More]
SHAPE Framework: Advancing Age-Inclusive Humanitarian Action
SHAPE, which stands for Strategic Humanitarian Assessment and Participatory Empowerment, is a framework designed to strengthen the capacity of local organisations to respond effectively to crises. Originally developed in 2015 under the Start Network’s Shifting the Power programme, SHAPE was adapted by HelpAge International to be age-inclusive, ensuring that older people and other at-risk groups… [Read More]
Driving Climate Innovation: Adaptation Fund Accelerator Impact 2020–2025
The Adaptation Fund (AF) launched the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) in 2019 to promote locally led climate adaptation innovation in developing countries. In 2020, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) were selected to implement two US$5 million AFCIA programmes. In 2021, the European Union contributed €10… [Read More]
New DAERA Initiative Aims to Boost Water Quality, Minister Announces
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir has announced the opening of the 2026/2027 call for applications to the Water Quality Improvement Strand of the Environmental Challenge Fund Competition. This grant is aimed at not-for-profit organisations and local councils to support projects that enhance the local water environment, engage communities with… [Read More]
UK LGBTQ+ Charities Face ‘Hostile Environment’ as Donations Decline, Experts Warn
LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are facing a significantly more “hostile environment,” with experts warning that financial pressures are intensifying amid a global backlash on equalities programmes. Stonewall, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ charity, reported that corporate donations more than halved in the last financial year, dropping from £348,636 in 2024 to £143,149 in 2025, while… [Read More]
United States Announces Exit from Multiple UN and Global Bodies
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to withdraw the United States from 66 United Nations and international organisations, including key forums addressing climate change, peace, democracy, and human rights. In a presidential memorandum, Trump stated that the decision follows a review of “organizations, conventions, and treaties” deemed contrary to US interests, and that the… [Read More]
COVID-19 Still Causes Severe Illness, But Updated Vaccines Remain Effective
The COVID-19 pandemic began on 31 December 2019 with the first reported cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, and over the next three and a half years caused an estimated 6.9 million deaths worldwide. While the global Public Health Emergency of International Concern ended in May 2023, COVID-19 continues to pose a significant health threat…. [Read More]
Pakistan’s Health Heroes Lead the Fight Against Cervical Cancer in Girls
In 2025, Pakistan launched its first-ever human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to prevent cervical cancer, reaching over 9.6 million girls aged 9–14 years. This historic effort was made possible by 49,000 health workers trained with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), including frontline heroes such as Riffat, Saira, Shaheen, and Naheed. Cervical cancer remains… [Read More]
New Special Issue Explores How Primary Health Care Addresses Non-Communicable Diseases
The Pan American Journal of Public Health, the scientific publication of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), has released a special issue focused on strengthening primary health care to address noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the Americas. NCDs—including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory conditions—are the leading cause of death in the region, responsible for… [Read More]
Ukraine Aid Workers Face Daily Risks Amid Drones, Fear, and Exhaustion
Frontline humanitarian work in Ukraine is fraught with danger, as illustrated by Oleg Kemin, a security officer with the UN World Food Programme (WFP). He travels deep into disputed territory along the 1,000-kilometre contact line separating Ukraine from Russia, where attack drones pose a constant threat. Kemin’s work involves delivering food aid to vulnerable communities… [Read More]
UN Report Highlights Ongoing Human Rights Challenges in the West Bank
A new report by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) documents what it describes as a decades-long system of discrimination against Palestinians in the West Bank, which has intensified sharply since at least December 2022. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk characterized the situation as “a systematic asphyxiation of the rights of Palestinians,”… [Read More]
