Foreign aid has been essential for decades in international development, funding education, health care and infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries. In recent years, governments and organizations have increasingly redirected aid spending toward strategic objectives, emphasizing security, border control and military collaboration. This new trend, sometimes called “security diplomacy,” raises questions about the changing dynamics of foreign assistance and its lasting impact on poverty alleviation.
Assistance from countries such as the U.S., Italy and European Union (EU) members is increasingly allocated to military training efforts, anti-migration enforcement and surveillance technologies, rather than financing educational institutions or hospital facilities. Case studies from Africa and the Mediterranean demonstrate the effects of this transition on recipient states and the challenges it presents to traditional development objectives. This shift exemplifies how security diplomacy and foreign aid are increasingly intertwined in global policy.
Coastal Control Over Community Needs: Italy’s Aid to Libya
In recent years, Italy has invested millions in foreign aid to bolster Libya’s coast guard and border control initiatives, particularly to curtail migration across the Mediterranean. This approach, financed via bilateral agreements and EU-supported frameworks, has faced criticism for prioritizing security containment above sustainable development assistance in North Africa.
According to a 2023 study, Italy allocated at least $37.5 million between 2017 and 2022. This funding was part of a broader strategy of security diplomacy and foreign aid, supporting patrol boats, training and equipment for the Libyan Coast Guard. The principal objective has been to intercept migrant vessels before their arrival in European seas and to repatriate the individuals on board to detention facilities in Libya.
This strategy, ostensibly humanitarian to avert perilous maritime journeys, has faced extensive criticism for facilitating human rights violations. United Nations (U.N.) and human rights groups have reported instances of arbitrary incarceration, torture and forced labor in Libyan detention institutions, to which many returnees are sent. Critics contend that by emphasizing border control, Italy and the EU have neglected investment in Libya’s faltering education and health care systems. These sectors have declined owing to persistent violence and insufficient finance. The financing change establishes a precedent for using assistance as a mechanism for migratory deterrent, rather than for human development.
The Sahel: Development Deferred in the Name of Stability
The EU has allocated billions to the Sahel via the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), primarily focused on poverty alleviation and migration control. By the conclusion of 2020, the EUTF had mobilized more than $4.8 billion, with 46% of the capital allocated to resilience and economic opportunity. Approximately 31% was explicitly designated for migration management and border control within the Sahel and Lake Chad framework, highlighting the EU’s increasing use of security diplomacy and foreign aid.
Audits conducted by the European Court of Auditors and academics at SWP Berlin have highlighted issues over the Fund’s ambiguous development aims. It indicates that its design increasingly caters to EU migration interests, implying a shift from conventional poverty alleviation to security-oriented measures. Similarly, analyses by think tanks such as the Foundation for European Progressive Studies suggest that mechanisms like the EUTF and the External Investment Plan reflect a shift in EU funding priorities.
Rather than focusing solely on development, these tools now also serve goals related to policing, border security and migration diplomacy. This marks a significant evolution in the EU’s “security–migration–development nexus” in the Sahel. Civil society organizations, like Oxfam and Euractiv, have emphasized the need to reallocate education, employment and health care assistance. They contend that emphasizing border control and stabilization may exacerbate instability rather than mitigate it.
Donor Alternatives That Prioritize Development
Certain donor initiatives, including those spearheaded by USAID, have persistently prioritized locally driven development, especially in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The USAID Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) program prioritizes enduring outcomes like education, food security and conflict prevention by collaborating directly with people instead of relying on security intermediaries.
Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have developed frameworks. These are focused on human security, including education, health, economic stability and protection from violence. These paradigms establish development as fundamental to security, rather than as a deterrence mechanism.
Focus on Root Causes: Re-Centering Aid on Human Development
Prominent international institutions, such as the OECD, the World Bank and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), continually underscore the need to address the fundamental causes of instability for sustainable development and migratory governance. The fundamental reasons are poverty, social marginalization, shaky governance, economic instability and environmental shocks.
The OECD asserts that successful development aid must promote inclusive economic growth, education, gender equality, health care and access to social safety systems. These objectives transcend mere humanitarianism; they represent strategic investments in enduring resilience. A global analysis by the World Bank highlights that improving equal access to employment and education is key to reducing migration driven by hardship. This is especially true for adolescents in precarious environments, where limited opportunities often make migration appear to be the only viable path forward.
IOM emphasizes that an exclusive emphasis on border control neglects intricate realities: most migration is internal or regional and is propelled by structural development disparities. Investments in local governance, labor markets and climate resilience might initially reduce the need for irregular migration.
Conclusion
As countries increasingly allocate development financing to border security and migration control, the fundamental purpose of foreign assistance is jeopardized. Across institutions, communities and advocacy networks, there is an increasing acknowledgement that human development, rather than deterrence, is the best sustainable approach to world stability.
– Ray Bechara
Ray is based in Glasgow, Scotland and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash
SmartCane: Technology Empowers Blind Communities in India
Barriers such as affordability, low literacy and geographic isolation disproportionately affect women, marginalized communities and people with low incomes. These challenges limit access not only to treatment but also to assistive devices like canes or glasses.
Smart cane technology in India is addressing this gap by using sensor-based innovation to improve mobility, independence and safety for people who are blind or visually impaired.
The Limits of Traditional Mobility Tools
An estimated 4.95 million people in India are blind and another 35 million are visually impaired. Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors remain the leading causes of blindness and low vision, respectively.
Many of these individuals rely on traditional white canes for mobility. While helpful for detecting objects on the ground, conventional canes fail to detect obstacles above waist height, such as low-hanging signs or open windows.
This limitation increases the risk of accidents and discourages independent travel, especially in crowded or unfamiliar environments.
SmartCane Solution for Safer Navigation
Smart cane technology aims to overcome these limitations. The SmartCane was developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in collaboration with Phoenix Medical Systems and Saksham Trust, with funding from the Wellcome Trust.
It is an electronic mobility aid that uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles up to three meters away and at varying heights. The device sends tactile feedback through vibrations to alert users before impact. The SmartCane retails for around $34 and has reached more than 20,000 users across India and internationally.
Implementation and Impact
SmartCane’s distribution has primarily occurred through partnerships with NGOs, schools for the blind and regional disability centers in India. Saksham Trust, a key implementing partner, has helped train users to integrate the device into their daily routines. Instruction includes mobility training, orientation sessions and guidance on interpreting haptic feedback.
A study led by Rohan Paul, one of SmartCane’s innovators and a Rhodes Scholar, found a 93% reduction in collisions during a structured obstacle course compared to users of traditional canes. Another U.S.-based study of older adults evaluating smart mobility devices found that 83% supported the idea. Similarly, 100% believed they could learn to use it effectively with training. However, some raised concerns about accessibility, appearance and tech support.
Real Benefits Beyond Navigation
Smart canes give users greater independence, allowing them to move through public spaces and explore new places more confidently. Enhanced obstacle detection reduces the risk of injury and supports safer commuting. Integration with smartphones and other devices opens access to apps, navigation tools and public services.
However, affordability remains a barrier, especially for low-income users. About half of the people with visual disabilities can access recommended aids or appliances. Government subsidy programs and increased awareness could help scale the device’s reach and close these access gaps.
Looking Ahead
Smart cane technology in India illustrates how low-cost, scalable innovation can reshape the lives of people with disabilities. With further investment and inclusion in national disability programs, smart canes could empower millions to navigate their environments safely, independently and with dignity.
– Hayden Chedid
Photo: Flickr
Tackling the Digital Divide in Ghana
Digital exclusion reinforces existing poverty and inequality, as equal access to advanced technologies is crucial for supporting women’s economic independence and fostering a more inclusive society. However, closing the digital divide in Ghana will give women the agency and empowerment to shape their futures and thrive in the digital economy.
Reasons Behind the Digital Divide
Current Initiatives
The GSM Association is a nonprofit that represents the interests of global mobile operators. It supports efforts to empower Ghanaian women with digital skills and access through complementary programs. Its ICT Skills for Entrepreneurial Women Empowerment initiative has trained 15,000 artisans and 720 female entrepreneurs in key digital skills. These include internet use, mobile money and social media marketing, helping them grow businesses and improve entrepreneurial growth.
To further enhance digital competence, the organization’s Mobile Internet Skills Training Toolkit offers free, multilingual video courses for micro-entrepreneurs. This initiative improves digital literacy, fosters economic independence and challenges traditional gender roles, opening new pathways for women in the workforce. Building on this digital foundation, the National Health Care Insurance Scheme’s mobile renewal option has boosted active membership by more than 50%, with 83% of women using this convenient service via mobile devices.
While these initiatives have seen success, the GSM Association surveys indicate that other e-government services are utilized at a lower rate. To tackle the digital divide in Ghana, external factors that hinder women from accessing such technologies must be taken into consideration. These include raising awareness, boosting digital literacy and addressing affordability barriers through targeted campaigns, training programs and expanded access to low-cost internet and devices.
Looking Ahead
“The Access to Agency: Empowering Women Through Digital Inclusion Conference,” held in July 2025, brought these challenges to the forefront. Indeed, sessions focused on expanding women’s access to smartphones, using WhatsApp networks for digital financial services and entrepreneurship and developing tailored safeguards to protect women’s privacy and safety online. By highlighting these priorities, the conference reinforced the need for targeted strategies that help women benefit equally from digital progress.
By putting women’s digital inclusion at the center of future strategies, Ghana can unlock new opportunities, reduce poverty and build a fairer, more prosperous society for all.
– Beatrice Punt
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
buildOn: Education To Help End Global Poverty
An Overview of buildOn’s Impact
Since 1991, buildOn has been using education to help end global poverty. The organization has constructed more than 2,500 schools throughout its history, impacting more than 346,000 lives.
With the support of global donors, buildOn forms strong partnerships to expand its impact across multiple countries. In 2023, the organization set a new record for the number of schools built worldwide. It extended its literacy programs’ reach in new and existing schools.
Education as a Tool To End Global Poverty
buildOn partners with donors to fight global poverty by building schools in underserved rural communities. Its mission targets regions where access to education remains limited, focusing on countries with the greatest economic need.
Current buildOn school locations include:
These countries face some of the highest poverty rates globally, with large segments of the population lacking access to quality education. Through its programs, buildOn works to close this gap and create pathways to opportunity for future generations.
Bridging the Education Gap for All Ages
buildOn’s education programs aim to eliminate discrimination in access to education by partnering with rural communities to educate people of all ages, from children to adults and seniors. In Burkina Faso, buildOn’s schools face significant challenges. Many rural areas lack basic infrastructure, forcing students to walk long distances to attend properly built schools in neighboring villages.
To break the cycle of poverty and lack of access to good education, buildOn aims to construct as many fully equipped schools as possible, ensuring each village has proper classrooms in underserved regions. When education becomes accessible to everyone, the chances of lifting communities out of poverty increase significantly. Many children who might otherwise drop out due to distance or poor facilities can now attend school and receive the education they deserve.
buildOn also supports adult learners through re-education programs that equip working adults with essential literacy and numeracy skills to improve their job prospects. In many rural communities, women comprise most adult participants, reflecting buildOn’s focus on empowering women. These programs boost economic opportunities and promote gender equality by giving women a stronger voice in their households and communities.
Final Remarks
Overall, buildOn’s programs aim to end global poverty by eliminating barriers to education through large-scale school development in rural areas. By partnering directly with local communities, buildOn ensures that each school is sustainably built and locally supported. These efforts provide children and adults with lifelong learning opportunities and help communities gain the tools needed to break generational cycles of poverty.
– Angelina Tas
Photo: Flickr
How 2D Participatory Maps Are Fighting Poverty in Chad
A Nation in Emergency
Measured by poor life expectancy, education and living standards, Chad’s slow pace of development since French colonial rule has created deep-rooted challenges for its people. About 42% of the population lives below the poverty line and food insecurity has increased by 240% since 2020.
Despite the discovery of oil in 2003, Chad has remained overwhelmingly focused on military security. This, combined with a legacy of political instability, corruption and poverty, has left its growing population trapped in cycles of poverty, unemployment and deepening regional conflict.
As scarcity rises, the war in Sudan is creating a new humanitarian crisis, impacting trade routes, with almost one million Sudanese refugees crossing into its borders. These challenges divert Chad’s already limited resources from other critical areas of the economy as fuel and food prices surge rapidly.
Rising Temperatures in Chad
As desertification advances at a rate of four kilometers per year, Lake Chad, once one of Africa’s largest freshwater bodies and a source of survival for around 30 million people, has shrunk by 90% since 1960. Today, fewer than half of all children have access to safe drinking water.
Further, mass flooding in 2023, particularly in the most populated areas, destroyed an estimated 259,000 hectares of farmland. This affected 1.5 million people, creating further regional insecurity and disruption.
Climate studies project that temperatures in Chad will rise throughout the 21st century. This will likely result in lower crop yields, leaving communities to fight for scraps of land ravaged by extreme weather conditions.
2D Digital Maps for the Future
In the face of these great challenges, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a cartographer and climate activist, has become a voice of hope among indigenous populations. Ibrahim is creating 2D participatory maps designed to combat poverty in Chad by helping communities identify and share resources in areas of emerging conflict.
Transhumance routes empower local communities and enable cultural exchange across the Sahel. These routes aim to reduce violent conflict by making populations less vulnerable to rising temperatures through evolving 2D participatory maps.
Integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge, Ibrahim’s maps are constantly evolving. Using annotated satellite imagery, they bring together leaders from 116 communities to agree on fair and sustainable use of fertile land, materials and freshwater points across 1,728 square kilometers.
The Chad Digital Transformation Project
While Ibrahim’s work sparks regional interest, only 19% of the Chadian population can access the necessary digital tools or facilities. This presents challenges in scaling the project, especially during a time of political and ecological instability.
However, within five years, the Chad Digital Transformation Project aims to provide an additional 4.5 million people with broadband access. The project will enable people to engage more comprehensively with the project in the coming years.
Conclusion
Chad’s challenges are immense, but participatory maps offer a hopeful path forward. By combining indigenous knowledge with digital tools, communities can manage resources and reduce conflict. As digital access expands, this grassroots solution could help turn local resilience into lasting impact.
– Gabriel John Gunn
Photo: Flickr
Using Oil to Fight Poverty in Guyana
By October 2022, two additional oil discoveries had been made, confirming that Guyana was sitting on one of the largest oil finds in the region. Today, Guyana is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and this trend is expected to continue. According to the International Monetary Fund’s April 2024 World Economic Outlook, Guyana is predicted to be “one of just a few countries in the world to post double-digit economic growth in 2025.”
What Does All of This Oil Mean for Guyana
As of 2024, Guyana was producing more than 600,000 barrels of oil per day, a major output for a country of about 830,000 people. The scale of this production is not only boosting gross domestic product (GDP), it’s also fueling job creation and generating billions in government revenue. As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Guyana is using these funds to take care of long-overdue development efforts across the country.
From Oil to Employment
Since becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Guyana has seen an increase in available infrastructure funding. Such growth has allowed the government to launch development initiatives aimed at improving the country’s economy and reducing poverty in Guyana. According to 7NEWS, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced in 2023 that several major projects are underway. These include the construction of 12 hospitals, seven hotels, numerous schools and various public facilities.
Many of these buildings are expected to open soon or within the next few years. These investments have so many benefits, helping to improve access to health care, education and tourism. Also, they are expected to generate thousands of new jobs and raise the overall quality of life for the Guyanese population. The expansion of infrastructure shows a huge step in ensuring that the country’s wealth benefits a broad spectrum of its citizens.
More Than Just Oil
By creating more career opportunities, poverty in Guyana is gradually begin eroded, allowing individuals access to opportunities and experiences they may have never been exposed to. In this sense, oil is more than just a natural resource; it’s a tool for transformation. It represents the possibility of long-term development, greater access to essential resources and the chance to uplift entire communities.
– Knia Parks
Photo: Unsplash
Diseases Impacting Ethiopia
Neglected Tropical Diseases
Millions of Ethiopians are at risk of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NTDs are a group of diseases primarily caused by pathogens (such as bacteria, viruses and parasites). Ethiopia has Africa’s third-largest number of NTDs, behind Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Similarly, Ethiopia has the highest number of cases of diseases such as trachoma, podoconiosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis in all of sub-Saharan Africa. It has the second highest number of cases involving ascariasis, leprosy and visceral leishmaniasis. And it has the third highest number of cases involving hookworms.
Infectious Diseases
Infectious diseases are also prevalent across Ethiopia. The most common contagious diseases in Ethiopia are HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia stands at around 1.5%. While this is lower than Africa’s average, it’s still higher than the global average (0.7%).
The prevalence of malaria in the country is about 0.39% to 1.1%. Research showed that population density was a standard variable in the spread of all three infectious diseases. Low urbanity and low population density correlate with a lower risk for contagious diseases.
Government Efforts
Ethiopia is still a developing country. About 68.7% of Ethiopians suffer from multidimensional poverty and a further 18% are at risk of doing so. Impoverished people are the most vulnerable to NTDs. Those living in extreme poverty lack access to proper health care and basic health services. They also live in areas where vectors of infectious diseases thrive.
However, the Ethiopian government has taken active steps to combat both NTDs and other infectious diseases. In 1999, the country developed a national plan to address onchocerciasis. The Ministry of Health established the National Onchocerciasis Task Force the following year. This task force focused on mobilizing and educating affected communities and distributing Mectizan tablets to help control the disease.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health also established the National Dracunculiasis Eradication Program in 1993. In collaboration with The Carter Center, Ethiopia launched a national program to combat lymphatic filariasis. Additionally, the country has implemented several programs and strategies targeting other neglected tropical diseases, including podoconiosis, soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis and leprosy.
Conclusion
Ethiopia continues to struggle with the burden of infectious and noninfectious tropical diseases, which disproportionately affect its underserved communities. While the challenges are significant, the country’s proactive health initiatives and partnerships offer hope. Sustained investment in public health, education and poverty reduction is essential to combat the diseases impacting Ethiopia and improve health outcomes for millions.
– Samriddha Aryal
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The Impacts of The Smart Rwanda Master Plan
While Smart Rwanda serves as the strategic framework, ongoing projects such as the Digital Acceleration Project, Kigali Innovation City (KIC) and the Electricity Access Rollout Program (EARP) demonstrate how Rwanda operationalizes this vision to uplift rural communities and empower youth and women.
Bringing Power to Classrooms and Rural Villages
Through the EARP, Rwanda’s Ministry of Infrastructure aims to electrify nearly 1,000 rural primary schools with off-grid solar power systems by the end of 2025. These installations provide lighting, laptop charging and digital tools that extend study hours and improve learning outcomes in remote regions.
Through public-private partnerships, Rwanda also expanded solar mini-grids to more than 45 villages in the Bugesera District. MeshPower, a key stakeholder, delivers reliable electricity to households and small enterprises. Locals report that access to power has doubled family incomes and created jobs by enabling new economic activities like phone charging stations and tailoring shops.
Expanding Clean Cooking Solutions and Green Model Villages
In partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and HomeBiogas, more than 500 Rwamagana and Ngoma Districts households installed biogas digesters. These convert organic waste into clean cooking fuel, reducing firewood use by about 80%. This improvement enhances indoor air quality, reduces respiratory illnesses and saves women and children hours previously spent collecting firewood.
Rwanda scaled its Green Model Village program by upgrading several villages with off-grid solar power systems. These provide reliable electricity and rainwater harvesting installations that ensure year-round clean water access. Furthermore, they provide improve sanitation facilities, eco-friendly toilets and newly built or renovated health posts offering essential medical services. These targeted improvements enable schools to extend learning hours with electricity, reduce waterborne diseases through better hygiene and create local jobs by supporting small-scale agriculture and clean energy enterprises.
Accelerating Electricity Access and Digital Transformation
Rwanda has rapidly increased electricity access from 6% in 2009 to 75% in 2024 through the EARP. The government leads this effort with strong institutional support from the Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda Energy Group and the Development Bank of Rwanda. With more than $1.4 billion in funding, around $750 million from the World Bank, the program combines grid and off-grid solutions to reach underserved areas. Performance contracts ensure accountability as Rwanda moves toward universal electricity access.
Rwanda’s $200 million Digital Acceleration Project, running from 2022 through 2026, further advances Smart Rwanda’s vision. By July 2025, the project reached 55% completion, expanding broadband infrastructure, improving digital public services and fostering innovation ecosystems. This initiative enhances connectivity in rural and urban areas, empowering citizens and businesses to participate in the digital economy.
Building KIC
KIC is a flagship Smart Rwanda project focused on transforming Rwanda into a regional technology and knowledge hub. In May 2024, the Government of Rwanda signed an implementation agreement with the Rwanda Development Board and Africa50 to accelerate KIC’s development. The 61-hectare smart city aims to host universities, research institutions, technology companies and innovation hubs, creating jobs and fostering entrepreneurship for young Rwandans.
Supporting Women and Youth
Smart Rwanda prioritizes gender equality and youth empowerment through targeted skills training and entrepreneurship programs. The World Bank’s $200 million Priority Skills for Growth and Youth Empowerment initiative benefits more than 200,000 young people. The initiative provides young women with market-ready skills and improves access to education.
Projects like Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture generate thousands of jobs and increase female participation in economic activities, aligning closely with Smart Rwanda’s inclusive growth objectives.
A Scalable Model for Rural Development
The Smart Rwanda Master Plan unites infrastructure, digital innovation, energy, education, health and social services into one coordinated framework. The government collaborates closely with international partners, technology providers and communities to ensure that development benefits reach all citizens.
By advancing this master plan, Rwanda offers a replicable blueprint for other countries seeking sustainable and inclusive rural poverty reduction. The continued implementation of Smart Rwanda initiatives in 2025 shows that thoughtful planning and multi-sector collaboration can effectively combat poverty and foster long-term prosperity.
– Kelsey Eisen
Photo: Flickr
How Security Diplomacy Is Replacing Development Assistance
Assistance from countries such as the U.S., Italy and European Union (EU) members is increasingly allocated to military training efforts, anti-migration enforcement and surveillance technologies, rather than financing educational institutions or hospital facilities. Case studies from Africa and the Mediterranean demonstrate the effects of this transition on recipient states and the challenges it presents to traditional development objectives. This shift exemplifies how security diplomacy and foreign aid are increasingly intertwined in global policy.
Coastal Control Over Community Needs: Italy’s Aid to Libya
In recent years, Italy has invested millions in foreign aid to bolster Libya’s coast guard and border control initiatives, particularly to curtail migration across the Mediterranean. This approach, financed via bilateral agreements and EU-supported frameworks, has faced criticism for prioritizing security containment above sustainable development assistance in North Africa.
According to a 2023 study, Italy allocated at least $37.5 million between 2017 and 2022. This funding was part of a broader strategy of security diplomacy and foreign aid, supporting patrol boats, training and equipment for the Libyan Coast Guard. The principal objective has been to intercept migrant vessels before their arrival in European seas and to repatriate the individuals on board to detention facilities in Libya.
This strategy, ostensibly humanitarian to avert perilous maritime journeys, has faced extensive criticism for facilitating human rights violations. United Nations (U.N.) and human rights groups have reported instances of arbitrary incarceration, torture and forced labor in Libyan detention institutions, to which many returnees are sent. Critics contend that by emphasizing border control, Italy and the EU have neglected investment in Libya’s faltering education and health care systems. These sectors have declined owing to persistent violence and insufficient finance. The financing change establishes a precedent for using assistance as a mechanism for migratory deterrent, rather than for human development.
The Sahel: Development Deferred in the Name of Stability
The EU has allocated billions to the Sahel via the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), primarily focused on poverty alleviation and migration control. By the conclusion of 2020, the EUTF had mobilized more than $4.8 billion, with 46% of the capital allocated to resilience and economic opportunity. Approximately 31% was explicitly designated for migration management and border control within the Sahel and Lake Chad framework, highlighting the EU’s increasing use of security diplomacy and foreign aid.
Audits conducted by the European Court of Auditors and academics at SWP Berlin have highlighted issues over the Fund’s ambiguous development aims. It indicates that its design increasingly caters to EU migration interests, implying a shift from conventional poverty alleviation to security-oriented measures. Similarly, analyses by think tanks such as the Foundation for European Progressive Studies suggest that mechanisms like the EUTF and the External Investment Plan reflect a shift in EU funding priorities.
Rather than focusing solely on development, these tools now also serve goals related to policing, border security and migration diplomacy. This marks a significant evolution in the EU’s “security–migration–development nexus” in the Sahel. Civil society organizations, like Oxfam and Euractiv, have emphasized the need to reallocate education, employment and health care assistance. They contend that emphasizing border control and stabilization may exacerbate instability rather than mitigate it.
Donor Alternatives That Prioritize Development
Certain donor initiatives, including those spearheaded by USAID, have persistently prioritized locally driven development, especially in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The USAID Resilience in the Sahel Enhanced (RISE) program prioritizes enduring outcomes like education, food security and conflict prevention by collaborating directly with people instead of relying on security intermediaries.
Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have developed frameworks. These are focused on human security, including education, health, economic stability and protection from violence. These paradigms establish development as fundamental to security, rather than as a deterrence mechanism.
Focus on Root Causes: Re-Centering Aid on Human Development
Prominent international institutions, such as the OECD, the World Bank and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), continually underscore the need to address the fundamental causes of instability for sustainable development and migratory governance. The fundamental reasons are poverty, social marginalization, shaky governance, economic instability and environmental shocks.
The OECD asserts that successful development aid must promote inclusive economic growth, education, gender equality, health care and access to social safety systems. These objectives transcend mere humanitarianism; they represent strategic investments in enduring resilience. A global analysis by the World Bank highlights that improving equal access to employment and education is key to reducing migration driven by hardship. This is especially true for adolescents in precarious environments, where limited opportunities often make migration appear to be the only viable path forward.
IOM emphasizes that an exclusive emphasis on border control neglects intricate realities: most migration is internal or regional and is propelled by structural development disparities. Investments in local governance, labor markets and climate resilience might initially reduce the need for irregular migration.
Conclusion
As countries increasingly allocate development financing to border security and migration control, the fundamental purpose of foreign assistance is jeopardized. Across institutions, communities and advocacy networks, there is an increasing acknowledgement that human development, rather than deterrence, is the best sustainable approach to world stability.
– Ray Bechara
Photo: Unsplash
AI Technology Developed for Breast Cancer Screening in India
Breast Cancer in India
Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. It also has the fourth-highest mortality rate out of any cancer. In India specifically, it is a significant issue. Despite having lower incidence levels, the nation continues to have similar or higher mortality rates than Western countries. One of the main contributors to this high rate of mortality is delayed detection.
Health professionals recommended that all females aged 40 and above receive yearly mammograms to screen for breast cancer. However, according to the Longitudinal Aging Study in India, fewer than 2% of the 35,083 women aged above 40 surveyed reported receiving a mammogram in the past two years. Due to this lack of thorough and routine examination, many breast cancers are not diagnosed until they are in advanced stages.
The percentage of women who reported receiving mammograms varies slightly based on socioeconomic status, other preexisting health conditions and place of residence. However, as a whole, access to and use of mammogram technology for breast cancer screening is limited. This is due to high costs and lack of adequate medical equipment and workers in India and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Predictive Screening With AI
Niramai, a tech company located in Bengaluru, India, has developed an AI technology known as Thermalytix, which detects indicators of breast cancer. Thermalytix uses computer software to analyze thermal imaging of breasts and scan them for abnormal “hot spots, warm spots and vascular patterns” and determine the probability of any malignant lesions.
Since 2016, Niramai has conducted studies on the effectiveness of Thermalytix in different clinics and hospitals across India. Over the past nine years, Niramai has invited more than 16,000 women to participate in clinical trials, improving its Thermalytix technology. Thermalytix was evaluated in terms of sensitivity (ability to identify true positives) and specificity (ability to identify true negatives) in each study.
In every iteration, Thermalytix has consistently scored between 82-98% in sensitivity and 80-88% in specificity. It has already “received regulatory approval in India” and met the health and safety criteria to receive the CE mark in Europe. Thermalytix patients found to be positive or at high risk for breast cancer are always referred to receive further testing with either mammography, MRI or ultrasound technology. However, its effectiveness as an early intervention tool is not to be understated.
Conclusion
As a lower-cost and noninvasive technology, Thermalytix has the potential to make breast cancer screening in India more accessible to the general population. If implemented on a large scale, this technology could “improve overall treatment outcomes” by catching breast cancer before it reaches the later stages.
– Delaney Gouveia
Photo: Pexels
Driving Down Child Malnutrition in Sudan: Life-Saving Peanut Paste
Child Malnutrition in Sudan
Sudan and South Sudan together form one of the world’s hungriest corridors. The conflict has displaced millions; crop failures have destroyed harvests and inflation has made staple foods unattainable. Insecurity has also crippled supply chains and closed health clinics, limiting access to screening, early treatment and food aid in the hardest-hit regions like Darfur and Upper Nile.
In July–August 2024, unprecedented floods across Sudan destroyed nearly 205,500 acres of farmland and displaced more than 44,000 people. This wiped out entire cropping seasons, deepening food shortages and pushing thousands more children into malnutrition.
According to UNICEF, more than two million children aged below 5 suffer from malnutrition, with 522,000 experiencing SAM. However, some actions can be taken: outpatient programs using ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) routinely achieve 90% recovery rates.
What Exactly is in a Sachet?
RUTF is a blend of roasted peanuts, powdered milk, sugar, vegetable oil, vitamins and minerals sealed in a foil pouch. Since the product is energy-dense, has excellent shelf stability and requires no water or cooking, caregivers can administer the full treatment at home.
This not only frees up overwhelmed hospital beds but also shields children from unsafe water sources and health facility overcrowding. Nutritionists call it “medicine you can eat,” and parents know it simply as Sudan’s life-saving peanut paste. One 92-gram sachet supplies more than 500 kcal and a full day’s micronutrients.
Proven Results
Every foil packet of life-saving peanut paste in Sudan delivers food and medicine in one lightweight dose, a huge advantage as clinics are distant and clean water is scarce.
The Takeaway
A single peanut pack has become the strongest shield against child malnutrition in Sudan. Alfred’s recovery exhibits that children survive and thrive when resources, farmers and determined mothers converge around a foil packet.
– Arabella D’Aniello
Photo: Flickr