The New Humanitarian
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Journalism from the heart of crises
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Aid workers say mounting pressure from Burkina Faso’s military rulers is making it much harder for them to reach civilians affected by the country's long-running jihadist conflict. https://bit.ly/4tkdhVS
Arrests and red tape: How Burkina Faso’s junta is throttling humanitarian aid
Military rulers are tightening control through access bans, legal threats, and control of data.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 5, 2026 at 12:00 PM
Aid workers say mounting pressure from Burkina Faso’s military rulers is making it much harder for them to reach civilians affected by the country's long-running jihadist conflict. https://bit.ly/4tkdhVS
In Peru, homicides and extortions are rising fast, as political instability gives ground to the surge of organised crime. The humanitarian impact has been significant enough for some aid groups to reprioritise their assistance. Read more: ⬇️
As organised crime surges, Peruvians are left to fend for themselves
Taking advantage of an unprecedented governance crisis, criminal groups are consolidating their hold on communities through extortions and killings.
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February 5, 2026 at 9:15 AM
In Peru, homicides and extortions are rising fast, as political instability gives ground to the surge of organised crime. The humanitarian impact has been significant enough for some aid groups to reprioritise their assistance. Read more: ⬇️
The recent eruption of violence in Balochistan should also draw attention to an ongoing epidemic of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Read: ⬇️
Read: ⬇️
Pakistan’s Baloch students are vanishing, and no one is held accountable
The recent eruption of violence in Balochistan should also draw attention to an ongoing epidemic of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
buff.ly
February 4, 2026 at 6:01 PM
The recent eruption of violence in Balochistan should also draw attention to an ongoing epidemic of forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
Read: ⬇️
Read: ⬇️
A peace deal was signed by the presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda in Washington last December, yet days later the Kigali-backed M23 rebel group launched a new offensive. A reporter travels the road the rebels advanced along, exposing the agreement's emptiness: ⬇️
On the road to DR Congo’s Uvira, a peace deal cooked up in Washington shows its true face
A journey to the South Kivu city exposes the hollowness of the US-mediated accord.
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February 4, 2026 at 4:00 PM
A peace deal was signed by the presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda in Washington last December, yet days later the Kigali-backed M23 rebel group launched a new offensive. A reporter travels the road the rebels advanced along, exposing the agreement's emptiness: ⬇️
Detentions, torture, and the extra judicial killings of government opponents is prevalent in Burundi, and a threat to returning refugees.
Read: ⬇️
Read: ⬇️
Why Tanzania’s mass repatriation of Burundi refugees must be stopped
Detentions, torture, and the extra judicial killings of government opponents is prevalent in Burundi, and a threat to returning refugees.
buff.ly
February 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Detentions, torture, and the extra judicial killings of government opponents is prevalent in Burundi, and a threat to returning refugees.
Read: ⬇️
Read: ⬇️
Reversing course, MSF announced on 30 January that it had decided not to comply with an Israeli law aid workers see as an attempt to silence advocacy and manipulate the aid response.
Read Riley Sparks write-up of the controversy that preceded the decision: ⬇️ buff.ly/rwwwrAU
Read Riley Sparks write-up of the controversy that preceded the decision: ⬇️ buff.ly/rwwwrAU
February 4, 2026 at 1:03 PM
Reversing course, MSF announced on 30 January that it had decided not to comply with an Israeli law aid workers see as an attempt to silence advocacy and manipulate the aid response.
Read Riley Sparks write-up of the controversy that preceded the decision: ⬇️ buff.ly/rwwwrAU
Read Riley Sparks write-up of the controversy that preceded the decision: ⬇️ buff.ly/rwwwrAU
Chaos, confusion, and more ethical dilemmas: Humanitarians are still trying to understand the impacts of a sweeping expansion to the so-called “global gag rule” on US funding.
Q&A: What next for humanitarians and the global gag rule?
The global gag rule will hit US humanitarian funding for the first time. Health advocates warn of chaotic responses and over-compliance – and highlight what to prioritise.
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February 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Chaos, confusion, and more ethical dilemmas: Humanitarians are still trying to understand the impacts of a sweeping expansion to the so-called “global gag rule” on US funding.
Read Riley Sparks’ nuanced rundown of MSF's back-and-forth over whether to provide staff names in the occupied Palestinian territories to Israeli authorities – and what's at stake for the aid response in Gaza:
Médecins Sans Frontières decides not to give staff names to Israel after all
MSF is one of 37 organisations facing a ban for refusing to obey rules that critics say are aimed at silencing advocacy and manipulating the response.
buff.ly
February 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Read Riley Sparks’ nuanced rundown of MSF's back-and-forth over whether to provide staff names in the occupied Palestinian territories to Israeli authorities – and what's at stake for the aid response in Gaza:
"I do not reject peace. On the contrary, I desperately want it. But peace, for me, is not a council without Palestinians nor an administration imposed from the outside. Peace is being part of the decision, not its subject"
From journalist Rasha Abou Jalal: ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4qibH4s
From journalist Rasha Abou Jalal: ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4qibH4s
In Gaza today, death does not need a missile. Rain alone is enough.
Despite the announcement of a Board of Peace, war and suffering still permeate the details of everyday life.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
January 31, 2026 at 12:00 PM
"I do not reject peace. On the contrary, I desperately want it. But peace, for me, is not a council without Palestinians nor an administration imposed from the outside. Peace is being part of the decision, not its subject"
From journalist Rasha Abou Jalal: ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4qibH4s
From journalist Rasha Abou Jalal: ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4qibH4s
From the return of territorial conquest and the growing risk from drone warfare to climate disasters in a world beyond 1.5°C and skewed crisis coverage, our specialist editors break down 10 humanitarian trends to watch in 2026.
Read the full story: ⬇️
Read the full story: ⬇️
Ten humanitarian trends to keep an eye on in 2026
Here are some of the key factors and themes likely to worsen lives for millions in crisis hotspots over the coming year.
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January 31, 2026 at 6:00 AM
From the return of territorial conquest and the growing risk from drone warfare to climate disasters in a world beyond 1.5°C and skewed crisis coverage, our specialist editors break down 10 humanitarian trends to watch in 2026.
Read the full story: ⬇️
Read the full story: ⬇️
Opinion: Bangladesh’s Bhasan Char project, a man-made floating refugee camp with the stylings of a penal colony in the Bay of Bengal, was destined, from the outset, to fail Rohingya refugees. https://bit.ly/3Z7Kd6g
The Bhasan Char project was never about protection, it’s about Rohingya confinement
Whoever takes office in Bangladesh after the elections next month must prioritise lifting longstanding and deeply embedded restrictions on refugees.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
January 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Opinion: Bangladesh’s Bhasan Char project, a man-made floating refugee camp with the stylings of a penal colony in the Bay of Bengal, was destined, from the outset, to fail Rohingya refugees. https://bit.ly/3Z7Kd6g
On the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast: the Rohingya community’s long wait for justice, how a case in The Hague opened the door for accountability elsewhere, and humanitarians’ complex role delivering aid amid a genocide.
Listen: https://bit.ly/4t8RqAE
Listen: https://bit.ly/4t8RqAE
Rethinking Humanitarianism | Don’t forget about the Rohingya
On the podcast: the Rohingya community’s long wait for justice, how a case in The Hague opened the door for accountability elsewhere, and humanitarians’ complex role delivering aid amid a genocide.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
January 30, 2026 at 12:00 PM
On the Rethinking Humanitarianism podcast: the Rohingya community’s long wait for justice, how a case in The Hague opened the door for accountability elsewhere, and humanitarians’ complex role delivering aid amid a genocide.
Listen: https://bit.ly/4t8RqAE
Listen: https://bit.ly/4t8RqAE
The New Humanitarian spoke to Iranians who have been forced to choose between healthcare and food while well-paying jobs were drying up. Their stories paint a stark picture of how macroeconomic decisions affect the most fundamental aspects of daily and drive people to protest: https://bit.ly/4q5G5P4
How economic collapse set the stage for Iran’s deadly protests
By late December, everything from chicken to medicines was becoming unaffordable for many Iranians as the value of the rial plummeted.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
January 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM
The New Humanitarian spoke to Iranians who have been forced to choose between healthcare and food while well-paying jobs were drying up. Their stories paint a stark picture of how macroeconomic decisions affect the most fundamental aspects of daily and drive people to protest: https://bit.ly/4q5G5P4
"Ordinary people are the first responders, and they will continue wanting to help."
Read Henrik Kjellmo Larsen on the role of spontaneous volunteers during a time when formal humanitarianism is being forced into retreat: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4bZAoim
Read Henrik Kjellmo Larsen on the role of spontaneous volunteers during a time when formal humanitarianism is being forced into retreat: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4bZAoim
Amid aid cuts and regression, it’s time to embrace spontaneous volunteerism
The humanitarian system privileges large agencies and multilateral structures. Yet crisis after crisis shows that volunteers are central to any response.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
January 30, 2026 at 6:00 AM
"Ordinary people are the first responders, and they will continue wanting to help."
Read Henrik Kjellmo Larsen on the role of spontaneous volunteers during a time when formal humanitarianism is being forced into retreat: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4bZAoim
Read Henrik Kjellmo Larsen on the role of spontaneous volunteers during a time when formal humanitarianism is being forced into retreat: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4bZAoim
"We know one thing for certain – any future that does not see us or hear us will not be safe, no matter what name it carries."
Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal on Trump's Board of Peace: ⬇️ buff.ly/jjxyLZJ
Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal on Trump's Board of Peace: ⬇️ buff.ly/jjxyLZJ
January 29, 2026 at 7:00 AM
"We know one thing for certain – any future that does not see us or hear us will not be safe, no matter what name it carries."
Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal on Trump's Board of Peace: ⬇️ buff.ly/jjxyLZJ
Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal on Trump's Board of Peace: ⬇️ buff.ly/jjxyLZJ
"As it is being presented, the Board of Peace does not seem to view us as a people with the right to self-determination, but rather as a humanitarian file that needs management, not justice."
Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal's latest: ⬇️
Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal's latest: ⬇️
In Gaza today, death does not need a missile. Rain alone is enough.
Despite the announcement of a Board of Peace, war and suffering still permeate the details of everyday life.
buff.ly
January 27, 2026 at 6:00 PM
"As it is being presented, the Board of Peace does not seem to view us as a people with the right to self-determination, but rather as a humanitarian file that needs management, not justice."
Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal's latest: ⬇️
Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal's latest: ⬇️
The New Humanitarian spoke to Iranian-Canadian journalist Samira Moyeddin to find out more about what started the protests in Iran, what the people inside Iran actually want, and what the threats of US military action could mean for millions of Iranians in the country. buff.ly/bAihQIx
Sanctions, oil, and what Iranians really want
Over the last month, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in cities across the country to protest rising costs, plummeting currency values, and high inflation.
As the…
buff.ly
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The New Humanitarian spoke to Iranian-Canadian journalist Samira Moyeddin to find out more about what started the protests in Iran, what the people inside Iran actually want, and what the threats of US military action could mean for millions of Iranians in the country. buff.ly/bAihQIx
For minority groups, the fragile ceasefire in the northeast comes with more profound questions over their future in Syria.
Fear and uncertainty for Yazidis and Kurds in Syria amid government advances
For minority groups in the northeast, the fragile ceasefire comes with more profound questions over their future in Syria.
buff.ly
January 27, 2026 at 11:15 AM
For minority groups, the fragile ceasefire in the northeast comes with more profound questions over their future in Syria.
In the Inklings aid policy newsletter: If it sticks – that’s a big if – the US plan to send humanitarian cash through UN pooled funds could reshape the funding landscape. And that has some other agencies in a fix. buff.ly/a5lA10H
January 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM
In the Inklings aid policy newsletter: If it sticks – that’s a big if – the US plan to send humanitarian cash through UN pooled funds could reshape the funding landscape. And that has some other agencies in a fix. buff.ly/a5lA10H
“I thought war could only destroy, yet in Sudan I witnessed courage, compassion, and the endurance of ordinary people”. Sudanese writer Samah Fawzi reflects on the small gifts of war – a jug of water, a wad of cash, a 2x1 meter shop – that reveal moments of grace and hope.
buff.ly/atFTCxL
buff.ly/atFTCxL
January 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM
“I thought war could only destroy, yet in Sudan I witnessed courage, compassion, and the endurance of ordinary people”. Sudanese writer Samah Fawzi reflects on the small gifts of war – a jug of water, a wad of cash, a 2x1 meter shop – that reveal moments of grace and hope.
buff.ly/atFTCxL
buff.ly/atFTCxL
Sudanese fleeing RSF massacres in El Fasher crossed the desert to reach a displacement camp in Al Dabbah in Northern State. Local communities have welcomed them with food but conditions remain harsh.
buff.ly/8YgxfvG
buff.ly/8YgxfvG
January 25, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Sudanese fleeing RSF massacres in El Fasher crossed the desert to reach a displacement camp in Al Dabbah in Northern State. Local communities have welcomed them with food but conditions remain harsh.
buff.ly/8YgxfvG
buff.ly/8YgxfvG
What happens when a refugee exposes human trafficking inside a refugee camp?
According to one journalist now living in a safe house, it is neglect and a broken system that prefers silence. ⬇️ buff.ly/BhOoSPr
According to one journalist now living in a safe house, it is neglect and a broken system that prefers silence. ⬇️ buff.ly/BhOoSPr
January 24, 2026 at 10:00 AM
What happens when a refugee exposes human trafficking inside a refugee camp?
According to one journalist now living in a safe house, it is neglect and a broken system that prefers silence. ⬇️ buff.ly/BhOoSPr
According to one journalist now living in a safe house, it is neglect and a broken system that prefers silence. ⬇️ buff.ly/BhOoSPr
🚨New Inklings: Questions and (one or two) answers about the US-OCHA funding deal, more awkward tech partners, and Israel’s new Google keywords target. ➡️
Inklings | US funding: Risks, power shifts, and a boatload of questions
Notes on aid: Questions and (one or two) answers about the US-OCHA funding deal, more awkward tech partners, and Israel’s new Google keywords target.
buff.ly
January 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM
🚨New Inklings: Questions and (one or two) answers about the US-OCHA funding deal, more awkward tech partners, and Israel’s new Google keywords target. ➡️
From power plays in Gaza and Davos, to fighting in South Sudan, to millions facing hunger across Africa – our latest Cheat Sheet breaks down the biggest stories you need to know, without the noise. ⬇️
Emperor Trump, clashes in South Sudan, and the UN takes over al-Hol: The Cheat Sheet
A weekly read to keep you in the loop on humanitarian issues.
buff.ly
January 23, 2026 at 6:05 PM
From power plays in Gaza and Davos, to fighting in South Sudan, to millions facing hunger across Africa – our latest Cheat Sheet breaks down the biggest stories you need to know, without the noise. ⬇️
A poet in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp explores a system blind to people’s needs.
These poems speak to experiences shared by displaced communities everywhere. They explore the tension between hope and hunger; between the promises of programmes and the realities of daily survival.
These poems speak to experiences shared by displaced communities everywhere. They explore the tension between hope and hunger; between the promises of programmes and the realities of daily survival.
“The Silent Category”
At the heart of these pieces is a simple truth: The experience of displacement is not only about survival, but also about dignity, creativity, and resilience.
buff.ly
January 22, 2026 at 3:01 PM
A poet in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp explores a system blind to people’s needs.
These poems speak to experiences shared by displaced communities everywhere. They explore the tension between hope and hunger; between the promises of programmes and the realities of daily survival.
These poems speak to experiences shared by displaced communities everywhere. They explore the tension between hope and hunger; between the promises of programmes and the realities of daily survival.