Humanitarian

Funding cuts in 2025 left women, children, older and displaced people hard hit, with 64m fewer people receiving aidThe humanitarian aid system is crumbling as funding shrinks, pressures increase and governments not only fail to protect civilians but are increasingly responsible for endangering them, a new report warned on Thursday as figures revealed 64 million fewer people received aid last year.With aid contributions cut by 30% between 2022 and 2025 and thousands of aid workers losing their jobs, the humanitarian system has suffered one of its biggest contractions since being formed in the post-second world war era, according to the State of the Humanitarian System 2026 report. Continue reading...

Conditions are deteriorating in city of El Obeid and camps on its outskirts, with more people arriving every dayHumanitarian conditions in the Sudanese city of El Obeid and two camps on its outskirts are dire and deteriorating, according to people on the ground, as civilians displaced by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia continue to pour in from the surrounding countryside.The UN says more than 15,000 families have arrived since mid-July, joining more than 200,000 people who arrived in the first half of the year, according to government figures cited by Save the Children. Continue reading...

• During a UN Security Council debate, India urged the international community to take immediate action to mitigate humanitarian fallout and food crises caused by ongoing global conflicts. • Indian Envoy P Harish emphasized the impact of trade disruptions on food security and detailed the domestic measures India has implemented to protect its own food supplies. • UN Chief Antonio Guterres highlighted critical maritime threats in the Black Sea, Red Sea, and Strait of Hormuz as primary drivers of global instability.

• India's Permanent Representative P Harish urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to take immediate action to mitigate the humanitarian fallout of global conflicts. • Speaking during a Tuesday open debate titled "Food Under Fire," Harish highlighted how modern conflicts create ripple effects that extend far beyond the immediate zones of hostility. • The discussion focused on the UNSC's critical role in addressing and mitigating both local and global food crises exacerbated by war.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked World Humanitarian Day 2026 by warning that attacks on aid workers are illegal and demanding immediate global action. • The campaign emphasizes the need for accountability for those targeting humanitarian staff and urges the world to respect existing protections. • This call for action comes as rapidly evolving military technology and shifting warfare dynamics make it harder for aid organizations to identify threats and maintain safe routes.

• The week ending August 16 saw a widening gap between international diplomatic efforts and the worsening realities of conflict and humanitarian strain across Africa. • Sudan, Somalia, and South Sudan faced escalating pressures, with Somalia specifically grappling with a deepening food crisis and Sudan dealing with a widening war. • These crises illustrate a dangerous intersection of conflict, climate shocks, and food insecurity that is increasingly destabilizing regional security mechanisms beyond national borders.

• Dr. Arun Mitra warns that ongoing global wars and increasing militarization are creating a deepening humanitarian crisis that the world cannot afford. • The author emphasizes that the abolition of nuclear weapons must be an urgent international priority to prevent the threat of nuclear brinkmanship. • Current geopolitical conflicts demonstrate that military coercion is ineffective, as evidenced by repeated cycles of ceasefires and renewed hostilities.