The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire have officially launched the Agro-Industrial Pole Project in the North-East, a major initiative aimed at modernizing agricultural systems, improving market access, and strengthening climate resilience in the Zanzan region. A central feature of the project is the creation of an Aggregation and… [Read More]
Local Recovery Efforts Drive Resilience Six Months After Hurricane Melissa
Six months after Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica is at a crucial stage where sustained recovery efforts are seen as essential to prevent long-term vulnerabilities from deepening. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Jamaica Red Cross highlighted these concerns during the Hurricane Melissa Recovery Conference in Kingston, emphasizing that timely… [Read More]
€2B Europe Grid Investment Deal by EIB and Commerzbank
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Commerzbank have signed a new cooperation agreement at Hannover Messe to mobilise up to €2 billion in investments for electricity grid expansion across Germany and other EU Member States. The initiative is designed to address financing bottlenecks in grid infrastructure, strengthen supply chains for key components such as cables… [Read More]
European Union Funds Support for Myanmar Refugees in Thailand
The European Union, together with UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee consortium, and Expertise France, has signed a new agreement to support Myanmar displaced persons living in temporary shelters across Mae Hong Son, Tak, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi provinces in Thailand, as well as migrants outside shelters in Tak province. The initiative aims to help displaced communities… [Read More]
Canada Invests $1.2M to Strengthen Yukon Food Systems
The Yukon’s food system is influenced by its northern geography and logistical challenges, but it is also supported by strong community leadership, Indigenous governance, and a growing local agriculture sector. Efforts to strengthen food production, processing, storage, and distribution are helping improve food security while also creating economic opportunities across the territory. The Government of… [Read More]
Minister Foley Launches €10M Investment in Early Learning and Childcare Infrastructure
Ireland’s Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has announced a new €10 million capital funding scheme aimed at significantly increasing the number of early learning and childcare places across the country. The initiative, known as the Building Blocks Extension Scheme Phase 2, will provide grants to both community and private childcare providers that… [Read More]
Minister Jim O’Callaghan Announces €4.3M for Victims of Crime Support Organisations
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has announced over €4.3 million in funding to support organisations providing services to victims and survivors of crime across Ireland. Of this total, €3.8 million will go to 10 specialised victim support organisations, including Victim Support at Court, Crime Victims Helpline, Ruhama, Support After Homicide,… [Read More]
UN Freedom of Association Guidance: ISHR Urges Greater Civil Society Safeguards
The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), in its submission to the Human Rights Committee, highlighted that human rights defenders are facing increasing risks globally and that their right to freedom of association must be interpreted in line with established international frameworks, including the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the “Declaration +25” civil… [Read More]
Kenya Youth Employment Boost: UNDP, CRBC Launch 1,000 Jobs Initiative
A new youth employment initiative in Kenya will provide training and job placements for 1,000 graduates through a partnership between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). The programme, part of the NextGen.Ke Youth Employment Programme, is designed to bridge the gap between education and work by equipping young… [Read More]
Djibouti Expands Renewable Energy Access Through Rural Solar Project
Djibouti has launched a pilot solar power project aimed at improving access to clean electricity in rural communities and strengthening resilience against recurring droughts. The initiative is funded by Japan and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a total value of $373,333 and a planned duration of 12 months. It was officially… [Read More]
Norway–Vietnam Green Strategic Partnership for Sustainable Development
Norway and Vietnam have formalized a Green Strategic Partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. The agreement was signed by Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Solbakken and Deputy Minister Lê Công Thành, in the presence of Norwegian State Secretary Ragnhild Sjoner Syrstad, marking a… [Read More]
Madagascar Faces High Vulnerability to Climate Extremes and Shocks
Madagascar’s current crisis is the result of multiple overlapping shocks rather than a single event. The country is among the most climate-vulnerable in the world, despite contributing minimally to global emissions. Since 2020, repeated droughts intensified by El Niño, back-to-back cyclones, flooding, locust infestations, and worsening soil and water degradation have severely disrupted agriculture, which… [Read More]
Cambodia Pushes Climate Finance Reform for Climate-Resilient Food Systems
Cambodia is advancing efforts to turn its climate commitments under NDC 3.0 into practical, finance-ready actions by integrating food systems transformation into national climate planning. At a technical meeting in Phnom Penh, the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD), with support from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub,… [Read More]
Sleeping Sickness Control: Cameroon Maintains Strong Surveillance
In Campo, a forested town in southern Cameroon where fishing and farming dominate daily life, sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) continues to persist despite a sharp decline in cases. The disease, transmitted by the tsetse fly, can become fatal if untreated, as it gradually affects the nervous system. Young fisherman Philippe, 21, experienced early symptoms… [Read More]
Zambia Rolls Out National Polio Vaccination Drive for Under-Five Children
Zambia has launched a nationwide Sub-National Immunization Day (SNID) polio vaccination campaign aimed at protecting children under five across six provinces—Lusaka, Southern, Eastern, Central, Western, and Muchinga. The campaign, initiated by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners, is expected to reach 3.7 million children in the first round,… [Read More]
Malawi Boosts Health Emergency Response with Second AVoHC–SURGE Cohort
Malawi has launched its second AVoHC–SURGE emergency responder training cohort in Lilongwe to strengthen national capacity for responding to public health emergencies, with support from the Pandemic Fund, the World Bank’s HEPRR initiative, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The program brings together 104 multisectoral participants drawn from key government ministries and institutions, including the… [Read More]
Emergency Relief Launched for Families Affected by Conflict in Nuristan
Humanitarian organisations have launched a coordinated multi-day emergency operation to deliver urgent relief to conflict-affected communities in eastern Nuristan Province, where insecurity has left thousands without access to basic services for over six weeks. The effort is being led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), and… [Read More]
Teaching Large Classes: Practical Solutions for Better Learning
Overcrowded classrooms are a growing reality in many education systems, where rising enrollment and limited infrastructure force schools to find practical ways to keep children learning. In Balochistan Province, Pakistan, schools are addressing this challenge through double-shift systems, where the school day is split so different groups of students share the same classrooms at different… [Read More]
From the Ground Up: How Land Rights Boost Jobs and Growth
Digital technology has reshaped how land rights are recorded, transferred, and leveraged, creating new pathways for farmers and entrepreneurs to access credit, invest, and participate in markets. However, adoption of digital land registries remains highly uneven: while they are widely established in OECD and several Europe and Central Asia economies, many regions still rely on… [Read More]
Can Agriculture Power Mobility? Biofuels and Oil Insecurity Explained
Recent military conflicts in the Middle East have once again exposed how fragile global oil supply chains remain, with direct consequences for import-dependent economies across South and Southeast Asia. Sudden spikes in oil prices quickly translate into higher transport and food costs, increased fiscal pressure from fuel subsidies, and declining household welfare. Macroeconomic evidence from… [Read More]
Private Sector Push in Education: GPE and LAC Business Council Join Forces
The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Latin American Business Council (CEAL) have announced a new collaboration to strengthen private sector engagement in education systems across Latin America and the Caribbean. The partnership was confirmed in Washington, D.C., during the World Bank Spring Meetings and reflects a shared goal of improving education outcomes by… [Read More]
UNCDF Introduces Derisking Fund to Help Myanmar Small Businesses Rebuild After Earthquake
The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) has launched a Credit Guarantee Facility to support economic recovery and rebuild livelihoods in Myanmar following the devastating March 2025 earthquake. The initiative is designed to strengthen resilience in fragile communities by reducing investment risk for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that continue to face severe financial… [Read More]
IMF Austerity in Argentina: What It Means for Lebanon
The paper offers a comparative analysis of Argentina and Lebanon to draw lessons for IMF-supported adjustment programs in fragile economies. It examines how both countries experienced severe “twin crises” involving currency collapse and banking sector distress, alongside high public debt, inflation, unemployment, and rising poverty. While IMF programs typically focus on macroeconomic stabilization through fiscal… [Read More]
