Confusion, fear as PEPFAR partners suspend HIV services
30/1/2025: Hundreds of service providers in sub-Saharan Africa and across other countries that are supported by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief have been ordered to stop their work, as a consequence of Trump’s executive order pausing foreign development assistance for 90 days.. Any interruption of lifesaving antiretroviral drugs is dangerous for people who are living with HIV.
Source: Devex
UNRWA ‘continues to deliver’ as Israeli ban comes into effect
30/1/2025 The UN Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) has upheld its commitment to support millions across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Last October, the Israeli parliament passed two laws that called for ending UNRWA’s operations in its territory.
Source: UN News
How Africa may lose from US leaving World Health Organization
29/1/2025: President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization will be keenly felt across the globe, with profound implications for health in Africa - where increases in mortality and morbidity could be a consequence of closed programmes.
Source: The Conversation
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