A year into President Trump’s return, authoritarianism is eroding human rights
20/1/2026: Amnesty International has documented how the Trump administration’s escalation of authoritarian practices, including closing civic space and undermining the rule of law, is eroding human rights. Press intimidation makes violations harder to expose; and attacks on courts, lawyers, and oversight bodies make accountability harder to enforce.
Source: Amnesty International
Israel’s suspension of Gaza NGOs will have deadly consequences
19/1/2026: Israel has suspended nearly every established aid group engaged in Gaza, from Médecins Sans Frontières to World Vision. These organisations refused to sign on to new registration rules explicitly designed to exert Israeli control over the aid response. Instead of upholding the law, the international community has lent its support to US President Trump’s farcical peace plan for Gaza.
Source: The New Humanitarian
Alarming increase in use of death penalty last year
19/1/2026: Despite a downward trend in the use of the death penalty globally, 2025 saw an alarming increase in the number of executions in a small number of retentionist countries. 170 countries have abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty either in law or in practice.
Source: UN News
Billionaire wealth jumps three times faster in 2025
19/1/2026: The collective wealth of billionaires last year surged by $2.5 trillion, almost equivalent to the total wealth held by the bottom half of humanity – 4.1 billion people. A new Oxfam report analyses how the super-rich are securing political power for their own gain and to the detriment of the rights and freedoms of people around the world.
Source: Oxfam International
Hunger concern amid rising violence in West and Central Africa
16/1/2026: A toxic combination of surging conflict, displacement, and economic turmoil has been driving hunger in West and Central Africa, while reductions in humanitarian assistance are pushing communities beyond their ability to cope. A staggering 55 million people in the region are expected to endure crisis levels of hunger, or worse, during the June–August 2026 lean season.
Source: World Food Programme
Blanket internet shutdown violates rights in Uganda
15/1/2026: On January 13, Uganda’s telecommunications regulator ordered all mobile network operators and internet service providers to suspend public access, two days before the general elections. Human Rights Watch says that blanket shutdowns undermine fundamental rights and threaten election integrity.
Source: Human Rights Watch
US Congress backs Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
13/1/2026: The US Senate and House of Representatives have included funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in their foreign assistance appropriations bill. This is a welcome development for the global health community, given that about six months ago, the Trump administration said it would cut all funding for the organization.
Source: Devex
World Food Programme appeals for an end to man-made famines
12/1/2026: According to the World Food Programme’s 2026 Global Outlook, 318 million people around the world face crisis levels of hunger or worse. Current forecasts put the agency's funding at just under half of its needed US$ 13 billion budget, while more complex operating environments are making it harder and more dangerous to deliver food aid.
Source: World Food Programme
Iran’s internet blackout concealing atrocities
12/1/2026: Since January 8, the Iranian authorities have imposed a country-wide internet blackout, which has severely hampered efforts to corroborate unlawful killings of protesters. Iranian civil society organizations and the media have reported that the death toll has reached the thousands.
Source: Human Rights Watch
UN bodies named in US withdrawal
9/1/2026: The US intention to withdraw from a host of UN bodies includes programmes tackling the climate crisis, trade, gender and development. Here is a list of the 31 UN entities targeted and how they are making a positive difference to people, communities and nations, worldwide.
Source: UN News