Myanmar on the brink as conflict fuels hunger
29/1/2025: Hunger has reached alarming levels in Myanmar with the situation set to worsen in 2025, the World Food Programme has warned. A staggering 15 million people are expected to face hunger in 2025. More than 3.5 million people are displaced due to armed conflict and violence.
Source: World Food Programme
How Trump’s US aid stop-work order affects global food aid
29/1/2025: The Trump administration’s 90-day freeze of nearly all foreign assistance has paralyzed a vast swath of US-funded food aid and agricultural research work.W hile “emergency food aid” is exempt from the order, it remains unclear what counts under that umbrella.
Source: Devex
Heads of State commit to transform Africa’s energy sector
28/1/2025: The African Union Summit in February will be asked to adopt the Mission 300 initiative which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030, about half of those currently lacking access. The African Development Bank and the World Bank Group plan to allocate $48 billion in financing by 2030.
Source: World Bank Group
Oxfam International urges Spain to lead the global fight against inequality
27/1/2025: The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will be held in Seville in June. Oxfam International is encouraging Spain to lead an international commitment to address the inequalities between the Global North and South.
Source: Oxfam International
Global education must integrate AI, centred on humanity
24/1/2025: 251 million children and youth worldwide remain out of school due to a variety of factors. The UN Secretary-General has reminded governments that access to high-quality education is a human right and also highlighted the dual nature of technological advances such as Artificial Intelligence, which offer immense potential for schools – but also pose considerable risks.
Source: UN News
Have we reached ‘peak aid’?
23/1/2025: Foreign aid spending reached a record high of $223 billion in 2023, according to new figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Yet, in 2024, eight wealthy countries announced $17.2 billion in cuts to official development assistance - and these figures exclude cuts from the 2025 executive orders signed by President Donald Trump.
Source: The Guardian
A new chance to expand children’s access to education
23/1/2025: Virtually all of the world’s children enjoy free primary education, and nearly 90 percent of children globally complete primary school. But it’s a different story at the pre-primary and secondary level, where cost often remains a significant barrier to schooling.. Existing international law only guarantees free education for all children at the primary level.
Source: Inter Press Service
ICC seeks arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over gender-based persecution
23/1/2025: The International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants for two senior Taliban officials, accused of crimes against humanity. Since reclaiming power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have systematically stripped women of their rights, including barring them from employment, public spaces and education beyond the age of 12.
Source: UN News
Trump’s executive orders threaten broad range of human rights
22/1/2025: Several of President Trump’s cabinet nominees said they were committed to human rights when testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But Human Rights Watch has pointed to multiple executive orders that threaten to undermine respect for international human rights.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Trump’s foreign assistance freeze generates uncertainty and confusion
22/1/2025: Within hours of taking office, US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on foreign assistance spending during which the new administration will decide which aid programs should stay and which should go. USAID’s annual budget is currently about $40 billion.
Source: Devex