The New Humanitarian
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Journalism from the heart of crises
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"Management is psychologically and politically easier than justice. But from Gaza, the demand remains stubbornly political."
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on the attempt to shift the international narrative on Gaza: ⬇️ buff.ly/EuCgX0r
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on the attempt to shift the international narrative on Gaza: ⬇️ buff.ly/EuCgX0r
February 11, 2026 at 7:00 AM
"Management is psychologically and politically easier than justice. But from Gaza, the demand remains stubbornly political."
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on the attempt to shift the international narrative on Gaza: ⬇️ buff.ly/EuCgX0r
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on the attempt to shift the international narrative on Gaza: ⬇️ buff.ly/EuCgX0r
Humanitarians, traditionally, have had little reason to think of the Arctic. But the recent transatlantic political crisis has highlighted a region with dynamics sharing stark parallels to crises across the Global South.
Read more:
Read more:
What the Arctic in a time of crisis means for humanitarians
The climate crisis, the thirst for fossil fuels and critical minerals, colonial legacies and Indigenous rights: A battle for the Arctic has begun.
buff.ly
February 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Humanitarians, traditionally, have had little reason to think of the Arctic. But the recent transatlantic political crisis has highlighted a region with dynamics sharing stark parallels to crises across the Global South.
Read more:
Read more:
Opinion: What aid groups do with $2 billion in humanitarian funding can hardly be called principled if the US has its way.
Let’s not pretend the US wants to fund principled humanitarian action
The US is trying to redefine humanitarian principles by dictating discrimination. Humanitarians – and other donors – must draw a line.
buff.ly
February 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Opinion: What aid groups do with $2 billion in humanitarian funding can hardly be called principled if the US has its way.
The latest wave of violence in Balochistan marks a deadly escalation in a decades-long conflict between separatist groups and the state, in a region where the central government has long been accused of exploiting vast resources while marginalising local communities. ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4rgBRG4
https://bit.ly/4rgBRG4
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.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:28 PM
The latest wave of violence in Balochistan marks a deadly escalation in a decades-long conflict between separatist groups and the state, in a region where the central government has long been accused of exploiting vast resources while marginalising local communities. ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4rgBRG4
https://bit.ly/4rgBRG4
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. https://bit.ly/4tqZuwT
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.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 10, 2026 at 7:59 AM
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. https://bit.ly/4tqZuwT
"Treating Gaza as an engineering project is easier than acknowledging that Palestinians in Gaza are a people: a people have rights, a project has deliverables; a people demand accountability, a project demands efficiency."
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on Gaza: ⬇️
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on Gaza: ⬇️
In Gaza, my homeland is being transformed into an engineering project
Trump’s Board of Peace is treating Gaza as a management problem, erasing Israeli crimes and the fact that the Palestinian people have rights.
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM
"Treating Gaza as an engineering project is easier than acknowledging that Palestinians in Gaza are a people: a people have rights, a project has deliverables; a people demand accountability, a project demands efficiency."
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on Gaza: ⬇️
Read Nour ElAssy's latest on Gaza: ⬇️
We urge UNHCR to take a stronger line in holding the Tanzanian government to account rather than facilitating the forced removal of Burundi refugees under the guise of voluntary repatriation.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
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.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM
We urge UNHCR to take a stronger line in holding the Tanzanian government to account rather than facilitating the forced removal of Burundi refugees under the guise of voluntary repatriation.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
Burkina Faso’s military junta is tightening control over relief groups, introducing new rules and detaining aid workers, even as humanitarian needs remain extremely high in the country.
https://bit.ly/4tkdhVS
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 7, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Burkina Faso’s military junta is tightening control over relief groups, introducing new rules and detaining aid workers, even as humanitarian needs remain extremely high in the country.
https://bit.ly/4tkdhVS
https://bit.ly/4tkdhVS
“As soon as you start something new, threatening extortionist messages begin,” said Pedro, a Peruvian cab driver about the rise of organised crime in his country. Political instability has allowed cartels to thrive, disproportionately affecting poor communities. Read here.
https://bit.ly/4caAl3e
https://bit.ly/4caAl3e
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.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 7, 2026 at 6:00 AM
“As soon as you start something new, threatening extortionist messages begin,” said Pedro, a Peruvian cab driver about the rise of organised crime in his country. Political instability has allowed cartels to thrive, disproportionately affecting poor communities. Read here.
https://bit.ly/4caAl3e
https://bit.ly/4caAl3e
Want to stay in the loop on global humanitarian issues?
Our editors break down the week’s most important humanitarian developments and what they mean. ⬇️
Our editors break down the week’s most important humanitarian developments and what they mean. ⬇️
Sudan siege ends, violence in Pakistan, and who’s in the Epstein files? The Cheat Sheet
A weekly read to keep you in the loop on humanitarian issues.
buff.ly
February 6, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Want to stay in the loop on global humanitarian issues?
Our editors break down the week’s most important humanitarian developments and what they mean. ⬇️
Our editors break down the week’s most important humanitarian developments and what they mean. ⬇️
Thousands of children remain unlawfully detained in al-Hol and al-Roj camps in northeast Syria.
Six years of evidence shows repatriation protects children and strengthens long-term security. Prolonged detention does neither.
https://bit.ly/3M7aQp8
Six years of evidence shows repatriation protects children and strengthens long-term security. Prolonged detention does neither.
https://bit.ly/3M7aQp8
Repatriating children from Syria’s IS camps is the right thing and the smart thing to do
Bringing children home from the al-Hol and al-Roj camps both upholds their rights and protects them and society from the threat of violent extremism.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Thousands of children remain unlawfully detained in al-Hol and al-Roj camps in northeast Syria.
Six years of evidence shows repatriation protects children and strengthens long-term security. Prolonged detention does neither.
https://bit.ly/3M7aQp8
Six years of evidence shows repatriation protects children and strengthens long-term security. Prolonged detention does neither.
https://bit.ly/3M7aQp8
Tanzania is ramping up efforts to push out the remaining 142,000 Burundian refugees in the country, threatening to close all camps in the coming few months.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
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.
www.thenewhumanitarian.org
February 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Tanzania is ramping up efforts to push out the remaining 142,000 Burundian refugees in the country, threatening to close all camps in the coming few months.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1
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.
buff.ly
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.
buff.ly
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.
buff.ly
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.
buff.ly
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