As health emergencies accelerate globally, 31 countries and areas across the WHO Western Pacific Region recently participated in the annual IHR Exercise Crystal, a simulation designed to test preparedness for the next pandemic. The exercise enabled participants to assess readiness, practise procedures for cross-border responses, and coordinate across multiple agencies in the event of emerging… [Read More]
WHO
WHO Mobilizes $175,000 Emergency Funds to Support Health Response in Cyclone-Hit Sri Lanka
In response to the rapidly worsening conditions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the World Health Organization (WHO) has provided US$175,000 in emergency funds to bolster essential health services across Sri Lanka. The cyclone, which made landfall on 28 November, triggered unprecedented flooding, landslides, and widespread infrastructure damage, leaving multiple casualties, significant displacement, and severe disruptions to… [Read More]
Gavi and GPEI Boards Strengthen Ties to Reach Every Child with Life-Saving Vaccines
The Boards of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) recently convened for their second joint session, reaffirming their commitment to accelerating progress toward shared goals: reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children with essential vaccines and achieving polio eradication. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Omar Abdi, Vice Chair of the Gavi… [Read More]
Ireland Pledges €7.75 Million to Boost UNDP’s Global Development Impact
The Government of Ireland has reaffirmed its strong partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) by committing €7.75 million (around USD 9 million) in flexible core resources through a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding for 2024–2025. This timely support comes as the world grapples with health crises, climate change, conflicts, and natural disasters. Ireland’s contribution… [Read More]
Global Rights Groups Urge FIFA to Deliver a World Cup That Protects People, Not Just Profits
As FIFA prepares to hold its World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025, and award its first-ever “FIFA Peace Prize,” a coalition of human rights organizations, trade unions, and fan groups is calling on the global soccer body to translate its rhetoric on human rights into concrete action…. [Read More]
A Refuge in Ruins: Amnesty Demands Justice After RSF’s Devastating Attack on Zamzam Camp
A new report by Amnesty International reveals that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a brutal and deliberate assault on Zamzam—North Darfur’s largest camp for internally displaced persons—in April 2025, committing acts that must be investigated as war crimes under international law. The report, titled “A refuge destroyed: RSF violations in Darfur’s Zamzam camp… [Read More]
Women Leading the Way: Collective Action at the Heart of Gender-Just Transitions in Global Food Systems
A groundbreaking PhD research partnership between Northumbria University’s Centre for Global Development, the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), and Women Working Worldwide (WWW) is set to explore how gender-just transitions can be strengthened across global food supply chains. The project, led by doctoral researcher Aishath Green, emerged from ETI’s work on advancing just transitions in the… [Read More]
Tech for All: How Digital Innovation is Opening Doors for Persons with Disabilities Worldwide
Digital inclusion is a term that is often used, but for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations’ lead agency for sustainable development, it goes far beyond simply expanding internet access. It represents an essential pathway to empowerment for all people, including persons with disabilities. With the World Health Organization estimating that 1.3 billion… [Read More]
Seeds of Change: How Community Philanthropy is Transforming Civic Action in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso’s civic space has faced significant setbacks, according to the CIVICUS Monitor 2024 report, which downgraded the country to “repressed” after a drop of 12 points, from 46 to 34. During a prolonged transitional period under military rule, dissent was silenced and media outlets were censored. Combined with persistent insecurity, humanitarian crises, economic strain,… [Read More]
How the Création Africa Fund Is Transforming Kenya–France Creative Partnerships and Empowering East Africa’s Creative Future
Alliance Française Nairobi recently convened a diverse gathering of cultural leaders, government representatives, innovators, and creative entrepreneurs to celebrate the progress and future direction of Kenya–France collaboration in the creative industries. The event brought together H.E. Arnaud Suquet, Ambassador of France to Kenya, senior officials from Kenya’s State Department of Culture and Heritage and State… [Read More]
Inside the Malala Fund’s Fight to Transform Girls’ Education Across Africa
Girls’ education in Africa remains one of the region’s most pressing development challenges, with millions still unable to attend school due to poverty, conflict, gender discrimination, child marriage, and chronic underinvestment. In crisis-affected countries such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, girls are often the first to drop out and… [Read More]
When Flames Threaten Everything: How Fire Insurance Is Changing Lives in South Africa’s Informal Settlements
Across informal settlements worldwide, a single spark can erase homes, savings, and livelihoods in moments. Yet fire insurance — arguably the most critical financial safety net in such environments — remains largely inaccessible or mistrusted by low-income households. In South Africa, one social enterprise is changing that reality. Lumkani, an insurtech company, blends early-warning fire… [Read More]
Positive, Essential, Attainable: Human Rights Day 2025
On December 10, the world marks Human Rights Day—a reminder that human rights are not abstract ideals, but essential elements of our everyday lives. This year’s theme, Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials, emphasizes that human rights are positive, essential, and attainable. Human rights shape our routines, workplaces, relationships, and opportunities. They provide the protections and… [Read More]
Tonga Launches Ambitious Coastal Resilience Project with GCF Support
Tonga has taken a major step forward in strengthening its climate resilience with the first governance meetings of the Tonga Coastal Resilience Project (TCRP), signaling strong national ownership and commitment to protecting vulnerable communities. The multi-stakeholder consultation on 26 November 2025, followed by the inaugural Project Board Meeting on 28 November, brought together national leaders,… [Read More]
UN Pledges $4 Million in Emergency Support for Hurricane Melissa Recovery in Jamaica
Four weeks after Hurricane Melissa devastated several western Jamaican communities, the United Nations has mobilized an additional US$4 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to scale up life-saving relief efforts. The funding will support emergency food aid, safe water distribution, health services, and shelter assistance across the hardest-hit parishes. UN Resident Coordinator… [Read More]
Human Rights Watch Warns Trump Immigration Policies Undermine Public Safety
A new report from Human Rights Watch highlights how the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies are undercutting public safety by discouraging crime victims from coming forward. The 50-page report, “‘We Need U’: How the U Visa Builds Trust, Counters Fear, and Promotes Community Safety,” finds that aggressive deportation tactics and new ICE guidance—allowing arrests in… [Read More]
UK Unites Overseas Territories Behind Ambitious Biodiversity Strategy
For the first time, the UK government and all 14 of its Overseas Territories have come together to launch a joint strategy aimed at safeguarding some of the world’s most remarkable wildlife hotspots. The new Biodiversity Strategy, unveiled on 28th November, sets an ambitious framework to halt and reverse biodiversity loss across territories spanning from… [Read More]
Foodbanks Face Uncertain Future Without Ongoing Government Support
New Zealand’s largest foodbanks are warning of widespread closures if the government does not provide ongoing funding beyond next year. Organisations including The Salvation Army, Auckland City Mission, and the New Zealand Food Network have so far relied on one-off grants running until mid-2026 but are urging the government to commit to sustainable funding. Sonya… [Read More]
UN Mission in Iraq Concludes After Two Decades, Pledges Continued Support
The recent parliamentary elections in Iraq mark a historic milestone and the conclusion of more than two decades of UN presence in the country. The Security Council heard Tuesday from Mohammed Al Hassan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, who briefed members for the last time as the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) prepares… [Read More]
Early Health Action Shields Families from Flood-Related Diseases in Adamawa State
In Adamawa State, north-east Nigeria, proactive health preparedness during the 2025 rainy season protected thousands of vulnerable people from preventable disease outbreaks in flood-prone areas. Coordinated by the Adamawa State Ministry of Health (SMOH) with technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), health teams were deployed ahead of peak flooding in seven high-risk local… [Read More]
São Tomé and Príncipe: Vaccination as a Lifeline for Children and Communities
At the maternal and child health centre in Agua Grande, the bustling capital of São Tomé and Príncipe, it’s vaccination day. By 9 a.m., mothers cradle their babies on crowded benches while fathers watch over older children, health booklets quietly exchanging hands amid conversations. In nearby rooms, nurses prepare vaccines, call families one by one,… [Read More]
Polio Programme Expertise Helps End Ebola Outbreak in DRC
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has declared the end of its latest Ebola outbreak, thanks in large part to the infrastructure and expertise of the national polio eradication programme. In close coordination with the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) deployed a multidisciplinary team of seven polio experts to Kasai Province… [Read More]
EU and Ukraine Launch €3.3 Million BRAVE1 Grant to Boost Defence Tech Innovation
Ukraine and the European Union have jointly launched the €3.3 million BRAVE1 grant programme under the EU4UA Defence Tech initiative, aiming to accelerate the development of advanced defence technologies. The first round of grants will focus on high-speed interceptors and radar systems, with each award offering up to €150,000—double the standard Brave1 grant amount. First… [Read More]
