More than £1bn pledged for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens
15/4/2026: Financial commitments made at a Berlin conference will help offset a chronic humanitarian funding shortfall in a country devastated by three years of conflict, where two-thirds of its population – 34m people – require assistance. The prospect of peace remains as distant as ever, with scant progress reported on ceasefire talks.
Source: The Guardian
US alleges that global aid has failed to improve lives of poor
14/4/2026: The Trump administration is poised to unveil a new global trade initiative aimed at scaling back the obligation of high-income countries to spend tens of billions of dollars each year in foreign aid. In inviting UN member states to sign a declaration of principles, the Trade Over Aid initiative presents a sharp-tongued attack against the value of global charity, alongside a frothy paean to the virtues of the free market.
Source: Devex
Year of action for 75th Anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention
13/4/2026: Throughout 2026 the UN Refugee Agency is embarking on a series of national, regional, and global dialogues to mark the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention. These dialogues come as the global asylum system faces unprecedented pressure, making the fundamental principles of the Convention more vital than ever.
Source: UN Refugee Agency
Don’t diminish the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan
12/4/2026: There are concerns about the renewal of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, partly as the US is responsible for drafting the resolution. As both government and opposition forces continue to commit atrocities, the need for a robust UN mission that is able to protect civilians and to ensure the delivery of lifesaving aid has never been greater.
Source: PassBlue
Sudan in poly-crisis as war enters fourth year
10/4/2026: Since the start of the civil war in Sudan in April 2023, over 4 million people have fled the country and 9 million remain internally displaced. The world’s largest displacement crisis is also a hunger crisis, with 21 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity, including 6.3 million in the most dire state of food emergency.
Source: UN News
What the latest OECD numbers tell us about the future of aid
10/4/2026: Foreign aid from the world’s wealthiest nations fell by 23% in 2025, according to preliminary data. The destruction of US foreign aid programmes represented three quarters of the global decline.
Source: The New Humanitarian
African economic growth to take a hit due to Iran war
9/4/2026: A fresh geopolitical shock is clouding sub-Saharan Africa’s development outlook. In addition to economic disruption, both foreign government investment and personal remittances from the Gulf region may be impacted.
Source: Devex
SDGs financing gap risks reversing decades of progress
9/4/2026: The UN's 2026 Financing for Sustainable Development Report highlights the shortfalls in global commitments. Official Development Assistance dropped by 6 per cent in 2024 and by another 23 per cent the following year. Debt servicing burdens have hit 20-year highs and average tariffs imposed on exports from the world’s Least Developed Countries surged from 9 per cent to 28 per cent in 2025.
Source: UN News
More than 200 organizations call for an end to Trump’s threats
7/4/2026: Led by Amnesty Interatoinal and Human Rights Watch, more than 200 organizations have signed a statement expressing alarm at President Trump’s threats against Iran. A threat to wipe out “a whole civilization” may amount to a threat of genocide.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Kerala shows the way on eliminating extreme poverty
7/4/2026: Kerala's achievements in reducing extreme poverty offer a compelling model for developing countries. Its experience reveals the inherent limits of growth-led poverty reduction, highlighting instead the importance of public action and collective engagement in addressing persistent poverty.
Source: East Asia Forum