Archive for category: Humanitarian Aid

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How UNHCR Provides Protection For Displaced People in DRC

Protection For Displaced People in DRC
The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of many ongoing emergencies around the world. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the country has faced political conflict, hunger, violence and poverty since gaining independence in 1960. Nearly 60 million people in the DRC were living in extreme poverty in 2022, according to the World Bank, while conflict continues to disrupt agriculture, markets and trade.

How Protection Works

To help alleviate the crisis, the U.N. Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, provides protection and assistance to people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This includes internally displaced people, refugees and Congolese returnees. As of September 2025, 8.2 million people were displaced in connection with the DRC crisis, according to UNHCR. The number could reach 9 million by the end of 2026, including an estimated 5.8 million internally displaced people. More than 1.2 million Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers are also being hosted in neighboring countries.

According to UNHCR’s 2026 DRC emergency overview, the agency focuses on strengthening legal frameworks and asylum systems while promoting the inclusion of displaced people in national systems. UNHCR also maintains emergency response capacity and works to advance durable solutions, self-reliance and resilience among displaced and host communities.

Regionally, UNHCR leads a refugee response plan with partners in seven neighboring countries — Angola, Burundi, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia — to provide protection, assistance and support for long-term solutions for Congolese refugees and host communities.

Assistance For Democratic Republic of the Congo Refugees

UNHCR projects 5.8 million internally displaced people in the DRC by the end of 2026, with displacement heavily concentrated in the eastern provinces. More than 1.2 million Congolese refugees have fled to neighboring countries, primarily Uganda and Burundi, as well as Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and other countries. UNHCR and its partners provide protection and assistance to displaced people both inside and outside the DRC.

UNHCR’s protection for displaced people efforts include supporting safe and voluntary returns, relocation and local integration. The agency also works to ensure displaced people have access to basic services, including environmentally friendly and affordable shelter. Its efforts also focus on strengthening access to land, livelihoods and other measures that promote self-reliance.

In 2025, UNHCR planned protection and assistance programs for millions of displaced people across the DRC and neighboring countries, including more than 273,000 children and caregivers targeted for child protection services.

Assistance From Neighboring Countries

Through its operations in Angola, the U.N. Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, supports refugees and asylum-seekers, most of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of April 2026, Angola hosted 55,628 people of concern to UNHCR, including 22,786 from the DRC, according to UNHCR. The agency works with the Angolan government to provide access to territory and asylum, registration, documentation and refugee status determination for people seeking international protection.

UNHCR also provides humanitarian assistance to displaced populations and host communities, helping meet basic needs and improve access to essential services and livelihood opportunities. The agency advocates for the inclusion of refugees in national development plans and other government programs.

UNHCR has maintained a presence in Angola for more than 40 years, with a field office in Dundo since 2017. The Mozambique multi-country office coordinates its operations in Angola.

Burundi hosts more than 100,000 forcibly displaced people, including about 91,000 refugees and asylum-seekers, most of whom are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to UNHCR. About 63% of Burundi’s population lived on less than $2.15 a day in 2024, according to the World Bank. As part of its response to the DRC emergency, Burundi maintained an open-door policy in 2024 and welcomed nearly 4,000 new asylum-seekers.

In addition to refugees, Burundi hosts returnees who face significant economic challenges. UNHCR works with the World Bank and other development partners to support the inclusion and reintegration of returnees and refugees. The World Bank’s Merankabandi national social protection program has reached more than 1.5 million people with cash transfers, startup capital and other support aimed at reducing poverty and improving livelihoods. The program also helps communities respond to food insecurity and climate-related shocks.

Strategy Outcomes and Impacts

According to UNHCR’s 2026 planning documents, the agency is working to strengthen protection for displaced people who experienced the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its efforts include improving access to essential services, strengthening national and community systems, and supporting the inclusion of refugees, internally displaced people and returnees in local and national programs. UNHCR also aims to improve living conditions for vulnerable people through shelter assistance and other essential relief items.

These efforts are part of UNHCR’s broader goal of helping displaced people meet their basic needs while building resilience, self-reliance and stronger connections with host communities. The agency’s 2022-2026 strategy also calls for greater social cohesion between displaced and host communities and improved access to durable solutions, including safe and sustainable returns and stronger land and tenure rights for internally displaced people and returnees.

The Future Of UNHCR’s Protection

According to UNHCR’s 2022-2026 strategy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the agency aims to expand opportunities for refugees in need of resettlement by 2026. The strategy also seeks to strengthen tenure and land rights for internally displaced people and returnees, helping them access secure housing and land as they rebuild their lives.

For refugees and internally displaced people, UNHCR aims to provide information and support for safe, dignified and sustainable returns. These efforts are part of the agency’s broader goal of advancing durable solutions for refugees, internally displaced people and returnees affected by the DRC crisis.

– Casey Chan-Smutko

Casey is based in Natick, MA, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Mutual Aid in Gaza is Helping Combat Famine

Mutual Aid in Gaza
After three years of conflict, families in Gaza continue to face severe difficulties accessing food, clean water and other necessities. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that more than 1.2 million people, or 59% of the population, faced crisis-level or worse acute food insecurity between mid-April and the end of June 2026. It projected that more than 1.4 million people could face those conditions between July and December 2026. Although increased assistance has improved conditions since late 2025, the gains remain fragile.

Alongside established humanitarian agencies, grassroots mutual aid groups are helping families meet immediate needs. Reviving Gaza and Zahrat Alhanun Mutual Aid are two examples of community-led efforts to provide food, water and other essentials.

What is Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid describes people organizing directly to meet shared needs, often through local relationships and volunteer networks. In emergencies, this can mean identifying households that lack essentials, raising money and arranging for supplies to reach those households. Mutual aid is not a substitute for large-scale humanitarian access, but it can complement broader relief efforts by drawing on community knowledge.

Reviving Gaza

Reviving Gaza is a grassroots initiative associated with Palestinian activist Ghassan Ghaben and volunteers working in Gaza. Its fundraising campaign describes efforts to deliver drinking water, hot meals and food parcels to displaced families, including those in camps not consistently reached by other aid providers.

The campaign explains how donations can support specific needs. It lists $5 as an illustrative cost for a hot meal and $300 for a truck carrying approximately 4,000 liters of water. Those amounts are fundraising examples, not independently audited delivery totals. Another fundraiser for the initiative describes an ambition to distribute hundreds of thousands of liters of clean drinking water.

The organization’s work has also been discussed outside its own fundraising pages. Ghaben spoke about Reviving Gaza during an October 2024 University of Florence event on the water crisis in Palestine. The project illustrates how volunteers with close ties to affected communities can help direct donations toward immediate needs.

Zahrat Alhanun Mutual Aid

Another initiative is Zahrat Alhanun Mutual Aid (ZAMA), a volunteer collective of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students and alumni working with students, teachers, medical professionals and community contacts in Gaza. The group says it has supported families and students since January 2025.

According to ZAMA, its partners in Gaza identify people needing assistance and arrange direct support. The group prioritizes babies, older adults, people with disabilities and those who are ill. The needs it lists include food, infant formula, diapers, blankets, clothing, tents, tarps and medical or educational supplies.

ZAMA says its volunteer team retains no portion of donations and works through a U.S.-registered fiscal sponsor. These are the organization’s own descriptions of its operating model; independently verified totals for the article’s previously reported Ramadan meal initiative were not available.

Grassroots Aid and the Wider Humanitarian Response

Both groups show how community-led fundraising can respond to urgent household needs. Their work takes place against a much larger humanitarian challenge. The British Red Cross reported in October 2026 that access restrictions, shortages and widespread unemployment continued to prevent many families from obtaining sufficient food, despite some improvement in aid deliveries.

Mutual aid can help individual households obtain food, water and shelter materials, but it cannot by itself resolve the scale of Gaza’s food insecurity. Sustained humanitarian access, functioning markets and long-term recovery remain essential. In the meantime, groups such as Reviving Gaza and ZAMA demonstrate the practical value of community connections and volunteer-led assistance.

– Lisa Jane Bryant

Lisa is based in Glasgow, Scotland and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Organizations Combating France’s Foreign Aid Budget Cuts

France’s Foreign Aid Budget Cuts
Official development assistance (ODA) has helped finance international development for decades. Governments provide assistance, including grants and concessional loans, to support economic development and welfare in eligible countries. ODA is particularly important for countries with limited access to other sources of affordable finance, helping support services such as health care, education and clean water. The OECD monitors these flows and their impact on international development financing.

France’s Cuts to Foreign Aid

France remains one of the world’s largest ODA donors. According to OECD preliminary figures for 2025, France provided about $14.5 billion in development assistance, a 10.9% real-terms reduction from 2024. Aid from OECD Development Assistance Committee members and associates fell by 23.1% overall in 2025, the largest annual contraction recorded. France’s budget reductions have raised concerns among development organizations about the consequences for countries and communities relying on development funding.

In response, organizations in France and internationally have campaigned to protect aid, inform the public and press policymakers to maintain development commitments. Three organizations illustrate how civil society has responded. Here are the three organizations responding to France’s aid cuts.

Coordination SUD

Coordination SUD is France’s national coordinating body for international solidarity NGOs, bringing together nearly 200 organizations. It advocates for development funding, works with public institutions and runs awareness campaigns. In January 2025, the coalition criticized proposed aid cuts exceeding 2 billion euros in the draft national budget, warning that reductions could affect people living in poverty and communities facing humanitarian and climate crises.

Coordination SUD also contributed to the 2026 Civil 7 (C7) policy brief, which urged G7 governments to prioritize grants and highly concessional financing for least developed countries, improve international development cooperation and consider a binding U.N. convention on development cooperation. These proposals seek to make aid more accountable and responsive to the needs of people affected by poverty.

Global Citizen

Global Citizen has drawn attention to France’s foreign aid cuts and encouraged public engagement. Its reporting explains the potential consequences for global health and poverty reduction and outlines ways citizens can express their concerns to elected representatives. The organization has also highlighted debates over the use of revenue from solidarity taxes historically linked to development assistance.

ONE

ONE advocates for policies and investments aimed at reducing extreme poverty and supporting global health. Through grassroots organizing, research and campaigning, it encourages citizens to engage with policymakers and hold governments accountable for their international development commitments. According to ONE’s own impact reporting, its advocacy has helped secure $1 trillion in new investments for economic opportunity and healthier lives worldwide since 2004. This is an organization-wide total, not an amount raised for France’s foreign aid budget.

ONE’s French advocates have also engaged directly with political leaders. At the 2023 Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, three ONE youth ambassadors delivered a collection of 1,800 supporter messages urging President Emmanuel Macron to act for international solidarity. More recently, ONE campaigned against the removal of development-earmarked revenue from the financial transactions tax and the solidarity tax on airline tickets under France’s 2025 budget legislation. The group has called for these funds to be directed toward international development again.

Looking Ahead

The sharp reduction in international aid during 2025 poses challenges for development programs and the communities they serve. Yet Coordination SUD, Global Citizen and ONE demonstrate how advocacy can keep international development on the public agenda. By providing evidence, mobilizing supporters and engaging lawmakers, these organizations aim to protect resources for health, education and poverty reduction.

– Melody Hubbard

Melody is based in Knoxville, TN, USA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Saudi Aid to Yemen: Supporting Recovery and Poverty Reduction

Saudi Aid to Yemen
The fight to reduce poverty is an ongoing battle. Many helping hands from various backgrounds and countries have stepped up to contribute. One such helping hand is Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is known for its wealth due to oil production, but it has also become a major provider of humanitarian and development assistance. Yemen, its neighbor, has received substantial Saudi support.

Yemen

Saudi Arabia’s support for poverty reduction is particularly visible in Yemen. Yemen’s humanitarian crisis ranks among the most severe globally. The Houthis took control of the capital, Sana’a, in 2014, and a Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in 2015. The conflict has caused deaths both through direct violence and indirectly through hunger, disease and the breakdown of services. A 2021 UNDP estimate put conflict-attributable deaths at 377,000, including 154,000 from direct combat and violence and 223,000 from indirect causes.

With economic and political unrest, the country has not recovered, and the Houthis continue to control large parts of Yemen. In 2026, more than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance, 18.3 million people are acutely food insecure, and more than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.

Kingdom of Giving

Saudi Arabia has provided humanitarian, development and economic support to Yemen for many years. Saudi sources report more than $12 billion in support between 2012 and 2025, while the Saudi Aid Platform records Yemen as one of the largest recipients of Saudi assistance.

Saudi Arabia has also contributed to UN humanitarian responses. In 2019, it provided $500 million toward the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan.

Helping Hands

One organization involved in this work is the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, KSrelief. The organization provides food, medical supplies and other humanitarian assistance.

KSrelief has worked with the World Food Programme on food-security and livelihood programs in Yemen, including support for farming families, agricultural land, irrigation channels and greenhouses.

KSrelief’s own statistics show that it implemented 531 completed or ongoing projects in 2024 at a total cost of more than $622 million. Since its establishment, the center reports thousands of projects across more than 100 countries, with Yemen its largest beneficiary by project spending.

Another Saudi organization supporting Yemen is the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY). Established in 2018, its work includes rebuilding infrastructure, supporting economic stability and promoting long-term development. Its projects have included energy and road infrastructure.

SDRPY has also partnered with international organizations, including UN-Habitat, on projects involving housing and water infrastructure.

Since 2018, SDRPY has implemented hundreds of development projects across sectors including education, agriculture and fisheries. Its work includes training and support intended to strengthen livelihoods and local production.

In partnership with Yemen’s Social Fund for Development, SDRPY has also supported education projects, including plans involving more than 25 schools and training for hundreds of teachers.

Final Thoughts

Saudi aid cannot by itself resolve Yemen’s poverty or humanitarian crisis, which ultimately depends on greater political and economic stability. However, humanitarian assistance and longer-term development programs can help communities meet immediate needs while supporting infrastructure and livelihoods needed for recovery.

– Lara Lewis

Lara is based in Wakefield, RI, USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Rural Senses: AI-Driven Humanitarian Aid

AI-driven humanitarian aidRich countries spent $174.3 billion in overseas development assistance in 2025, but according to Rural Senses, only 20% of aid practitioners had sufficient data to successfully deliver project goals. Here is information about how Rural Senses is promoting AI-driven humanitarian aid.

Impact Measurement

Rural Senses is working to address the aid data sufficiency gap. Its advanced language processing algorithms improve traditional methods of gathering and analyzing qualitative feedback from vulnerable communities. According to the company, its modern impact analysis platform for AI-driven humanitarian aid, Visual Senses, can cut the time it takes to gather and process community data from months to just days, allowing for faster, more insightful and more impactful development responses.

Impact measurement refers to the process of evaluating long-term changes caused by a specific activity. In the context of humanitarian development, it means assessing how an aid program has affected a targeted group of people.

Traditionally, this involves gathering quantifiable statistics and interviewing local populations. The process can be time-consuming and expensive, often requiring skilled experts. Rural Senses claims that its approach to AI-driven humanitarian aid offers a fast-track option that even non-experts can use while reducing costs and speeding up planning and analysis.

A Human-led AI Solution

The company was founded in 2019, emerging from a research project at the University of Cambridge. The aim was to devise a platform that would improve the flow of information between development practitioners and the vulnerable communities with which they work. Over the past few years, the team developed not only a new methodology but also an end-to-end automated process for social and environmental impact measurement and management.

The company describes it as a “human-led” AI platform and emphasizes that the human always remains in control. The AI assists with identifying stakeholders, analyzing and presenting data, gathering related research, translating and transcribing conversations, etc.

Overcoming Bias

The platform is designed specifically for organizations carrying out work in remote, developing communities. Historically, many of these organizations would bring over American researchers and place them in a village with an interpreter to ask questions of local residents. “But there is a lot of bias there,” cautions Chief Executive and Co-Founder Yau Levy, speaking in a company-sponsored webinar.

To overcome this bias, Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform adopts the User Perceived Value (UPV) methodology. Similar to a traditional needs assessment, which looks at what a community needs, the UPV approach targets what a community values. This gives the local community a more direct voice in expressing their underlying values and should translate into more effective development projects.

A Typical Project

All projects start with human input, usually when a researcher enters into the software platform the basic mission of the project, the targeted stakeholders and activities. After this, AI can begin helping with foundational background research. The system can suggest a list of similar studies and highlight the ways in which they resemble or differ from the current project proposal.

It can also transform obscure local languages into actionable data. One real-world project in 2022 saw the Rural Senses’ AI-driven humanitarian aid platform deployed in a project in Siaya County, Kenya, where most residents speak Dholuo. The AI translated and transcribed questions and responses in Dholuo and English.

The aim of this particular project was to better understand the resilience of local communities to changing weather patterns and gather views on off-grid appliances. According to study details published by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, Rural Senses was commissioned to gather feedback from 300 people across 11 villages. The project used open-ended questions designed to reduce researcher assumptions.

For example, one such question was “In your own words how would you describe climate change?” Wording it in this manner put the power of choice into the hands of the respondents. AI then analyzed recorded interviews and extracted from the comments exactly what it was that people saw as climate change. It also analyzed whether the respondent spoke about this issue negatively or positively. Results were shown in real time as responses were processed. The expectation was that project findings would help Kenyan policymakers to make more informed energy and development programs.

Pivotally, the platform is flexible. As it receives more data, it will suggest changes to strategy or outcomes based on its learnings so far.

Building Trust

Whether it is water security or health care, accurately understanding the values and needs of local communities is pivotal to delivering effective humanitarian aid. Bringing in the power of AI could accelerate efforts on this front, provided it is done in a way that builds trust. While AI has been around for decades, applications remain in their infancy and many organizations remain resistant to adoption.

Levy is confident that keeping the human at the center of AI-driven humanitarian aid is the key. “A system that works with the practitioner and brings out the best of their knowledge will help build trust,” he asserts.

A Growing Reach

Rural Senses’ reach has been growing steadily. It joined the Pears Challenge 2019, a start-up incubator looking at technology solutions for water, sanitation, hygiene and education challenges that refugees and vulnerable populations face. It also participated in the 2020 Microsoft for Startups – Tech for Good “AI for Good” Accelerator program. The client list includes a wide range of players, including the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, IKEA Foundation, Amref Health Africa, The Halo Trust, and the Centre for Global Equality. As of September 2026, it has worked in 18 countries, spoken to more than 93,000 people and collected 1.48 million data points.

AI-driven humanitarian aid plays at the intersection of smart technology and vulnerable communities. It promises to dramatically reshape the way aid projects are formulated, conducted and assessed. In theory, optimized development programs increase the impact of any given amount of funding. In practice, more independent assessments of platforms like that from Rural Senses could indeed make that happen.

– Megan Sansom

Megan is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Sustained International Efforts Support Venezuela’s Recovery

Venezuela’s RecoveryOn June 24th, Venezuela was struck by two earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, triggering a major humanitarian emergency. Over six weeks later, the scale of the disaster remains immense. By August 11th, the reported death toll had risen to 6,301, nearly 61,000 people had been treated in hospitals, and 9,500 homes were classified ‘high-risk.’

A Global Response

Alongside the destruction emerges another story: an international response that has continued to adapt as Venezuela’s recovery needs have changed. 

In the first days after the earthquakes, search-and-rescue teams arrived from across the globe. Spain deployed members of its Military Emergency Unit; Brazil sent firefighters and a field hospital; Switzerland provided specialists and equipment; Mexico sent technical rescue personnel alongside its volunteer Topos teams; and Turkey deployed disaster-response specialists, medical personnel, search dogs and vehicles. Particularly notable was Syria’s 15 specialist strong search-and-rescue mission, considered the first international humanitarian operation they have ever conducted, and described by Syria’s SANA news agency as a “historic milestone.” Other countries across Latin America also contributed, while international organizations mobilized.

A Changing Mission: From Rescue to Recovery

Significantly for Venezuela’s recovery, international support did not disappear when the immediate search ended. As chances of finding survivors diminished, doctors, humanitarian workers, logistics specialists and development organizations increasingly took on longer-term roles. International donations also continued, with 107 registered by August 3rd.

The United Nations and its partners have been coordinating assistance across health, shelter, food, water, sanitation and hygiene, logistics and protection. According to the latest OCHA situation report, nearly 212,000 people had accessed essential services and humanitarian assistance by August 6th.

Hospitals Without Walls

Healthcare is one of the clearest examples of how the international response is evolving. Temporary medical facilities have been established in affected areas, and international partners have provided doctors, medicines, laboratory equipment and other essential supplies.

Brazil has continued operating a field hospital in La Guaira, while Colombia shifted its contribution from search-and-rescue towards medical assistance. Others, including the Dominican Republic, Qatar and international humanitarian organizations, have also supported temporary medical capacity.

Yet, humanitarian concerns extend beyond damaged infrastructure and interruptions to healthcare and essential services create additional vulnerabilities. Women, girls and adolescents can face increased risks of violence and exploitation after disasters. The international response therefore needs to focus also on protecting those most affected, and rebuilding communities and lives.

One striking example of long-term assistance has come from Israel; a reminder that international disaster assistance can move beyond diplomatic complexities. Despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries for many years, an Israeli delegation has become involved in developing a national plan for rebuilding affected areas. The effort includes the demolition of dangerous structures, clearing of debris and rehabilitation of earthquake-hit areas. Within a few days of arriving, consulting senior government officials and inspecting disaster zones, the Israeli team formed a comprehensive reconstruction plan to map the damage, clear debris and unsafe structures and restore critical infrastructure. 

This continued phase of disaster response is critical to Venezuela’s recovery. Recovery requires sustained funding, coordination between international and national actors, restoration of infrastructure and an understanding of what communities will need after the immediate emergency has faded.

A Long Road Still Lies Ahead

The road ahead for Venezuela’s recovery will not be short. The UN Development Programme estimated direct physical damage at approximately $6.7 billion USD, equivalent to about 6% of Venezuela’s GDP. The estimate does not represent the full economic disruption or eventual reconstruction cost. The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has separately estimated damage to homes and infrastructure at around $37 billion USD. UNICEF has predicted $52 million USD is required for its earthquake response alone. Such figures underline the scale of the need, and the importance of sustained international funding and support.

– Cecilia Catmur

Cecilia is based in Cambridge, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Food Systems in Uganda in the Face of El Niño 

Food Systems in UgandaIn the most vulnerable parts of the world, any risk to food systems can mean catastrophic effects on the population’s health. As El Niño approaches, threatening difficult harvests, drought, floods and even further scarcity in vulnerable countries, East and Southern Africa are predicted as some of the most at-risk areas in the coming months and year. With funding diminishing, food systems in Uganda are under stress, but the country is taking matters into its own hands.

Uganda sits firmly in the list of most vulnerable populations in the world with 20.3% of people living below the poverty line. Alongside this, the country is home to the largest number of refugees in Africa. While food is scarce, external aid is shrinking, and the hot shadow of El Niño looms, Uganda has been working on its own solutions. Utilizing this large population of refugees, and with advanced planning, the country strives to combat poverty and create sustainable communities amidst rising temperatures. 

El Niño

El Niño is the warm phase of a natural climate pattern (El Niño-Southern Oscillation), the period of warming of the Pacific Ocean that affects weather around the globe. This isn’t a new occurrence, but it is one that affects vulnerable countries’ infrastructures, like food systems in Uganda, bringing drought in some locations and flooding in others. This year, however, the phenomenon may be much more dramatic than normal, with Ugandans feeling the effects until 2028.

Projections of food scarcity and impact on poverty amidst this occurrence highlights the most vulnerable countries. Uganda sits firmly in this list with its high poverty figures and number of refugees. Yet, external aid seems to be going in the wrong direction.

The Statistics and Funding

In affected areas, the World Bank predicts production of crops such as rice to fall by 20% to 50% in the coming year. Alongside this, the World Bank saw an increase in food price in low-income countries, as well as stating in their report that “global food and nutritional security is becoming more fragile.”

The situation may be worse than previous years, with predictions indicating that the 2026 El Niño will be the worst on record. The lack of funding to humanitarian aid accompanies this (the main global contributors, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany, have announced budget cuts), which leaves countries like Uganda in need of serious internal effort. The good news is that the country is rising to the challenge.

External Aid

With the recurring threats upon food systems in Uganda, the situation is one that has been planned for. Humanitarian groups such as the UN and World Food Programme (WFP) have seen these issues coming and have been fighting them for years. Although, while the WFP initially provided direct aid in the form of hot meals for the numerous refugees and vulnerable in Uganda, this system has been gradually diminishing since 2025 due to lack of funding. Now, humanitarian groups like the WFP have focused on how to aid food systems in Uganda, supporting a structure that can sustain and utilize the growing refugee population.

Internal Aid

In Nakivale, a refugee settlement in Uganda’s southwest, the ‘self-reliance model’ has been put in place with the aid, and to the benefit of its many refugees. Under Uganda’s own model, which has received praise for its progressive treatment of refugees, locals and refugees both learn skills that will aid in creating a sustainable food and social system going forward. The community learns about fishing, farming and financial strategies which, alongside planned financial aid from the WFP, helps to secure a more stable system that will fluctuate less, both in terms of rations and food prices, or external conditions arise, like the coming El Niño.

Uganda’s refugee model is paying off for the country. The model allows refugees the right to work, freedom of movement, property lease, trade, access education, health care and other social service. Under this structure, the self-reliance model is allowed to thrive and build a sustainable future, capable of combating threats to food systems and communities like the coming El Niño internally.

One refugee told the WFP how the program “taught us how to prepare for the day that cash assistance might stop…how we could stand on our own.” Another refugee, Sanyu Sylva, comments on the list of skills she has learnt and the conditions that will allow her to pass this knowledge onto others, creating a sustainable community.

Looking Ahead

While many countries address refugees as a strain on their infrastructure, Uganda is managing to provide aid and community for these groups and its own people through planning and collaboration. Such internal rallying in the face of funding cuts, alongside aid from devoted humanitarian groups may be the key to enduring hardships like the coming El Niño.

– Calvin Politi

Calvin is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Fragility and Rule of Law in Lebanon

Fragility and Rule of Law in LebanonLebanon has spent the better part of a decade immersed in the Middle East’s ecosystem of conflict, caught between Iranian and Israeli intervention along its southern border. Today, that instability has sharpened into a direct test of fragility and rule of law in Lebanon, as President Joseph Aoun’s government struggles to disarm Hezbollah and reassert the state’s monopoly on the use of force. Aoun took office in January 2025 on that promise, tied to the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, but more than a year later the question remains unresolved.

A State Testing Its Authority

The November 2024 ceasefire ended a year of open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and required Israeli forces to withdraw from five military positions in southern Lebanon. Aoun’s government also committed to disarming Hezbollah, according to the House of Commons Library. Hezbollah refused to lay down its weapons until Israel completed its withdrawal. In this way, disarmament became a threat to Lebanon’s own standing rather than a step toward sovereignty.

By 2026, Lebanese officials reported that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) had moved into former Hezbollah positions along the border and near the Litani River, extending the army’s presence into territory the group once controlled.

Renewed Pressure, Renewed Risk

The fragile progress unraveled after the United States and Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a February 2026 airstrike on Tehran, escalating the broader U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. Hezbollah responded by firing six rockets into northern Israel, and the Lebanese government proved unable to compel full disarmament of the group, reviving fears of renewed conflict.

By June 2026, Washington and Jerusalem set stricter conditions for a new ceasefire, including complete Hezbollah disarmament, an end to hostilities and exclusive military authority for the LAF, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Lebanese, Israeli and U.S. officials continued negotiations through the summer, most recently in Rome in July 2026.

On June 16, 2026, Israel agreed to withdraw from two pilot zones in southern Lebanon, though the displaced residents and left damaged infrastructure behind were aspects to consider, Reuters reported.

Aoun described the Rome talks as showing “positive progress,” according to Vatican News, and negotiators added the return of Lebanese prisoners and a halt to house demolitions to the agenda.

Despite the diplomatic intervention, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that Israeli forces fired more than 450 projectiles into south Lebanon and crossed into Lebanese airspace nearly 100 times more than a single weekend in early August, increasing pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

Rebuilding State Institutions

Efforts to address fragility and rule of law y in Lebanon go beyond the battlefield. Since September 2017, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has worked with the Lebanese government to strengthen the country’s security and justice institutions. The program has helped turn municipal police forces into community-policing units in more than 300 municipalities, providing services to more than 260,000 people across 75 villages. According to UNDP, it has also established four legal-aid helpdesks with the U.N. refugee agency, providing free legal assistance to more than 19,000 people, 62% of whom are women. The project has received more than $14 million from international donors, including the United States, the European Union and Denmark, and is expected to continue until June 2027.

Present Day

Violence has decreased since the Rome talks and a preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement on the wider regional conflict, though Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon continued into August, according to France 24 — a reminder of the gap that still separates what is agreed on paper from what happens on the ground.

This fragility has deepened poverty across the country. According to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2026, the collapse of formal safety nets alongside a weakened rule of law has left vulnerable populations exposed, with more than 79% of Lebanon’s population now living below the poverty line. Migrants face particular risk: approximately 165,000 of them, roughly 70% women, are exposed to exploitation, loss of legal status and exclusion from aid. IOM’s response focuses on community stabilization, peacebuilding, and social cohesion, working alongside the Lebanese government.

The European Union has also stepped in, committing €100 million in humanitarian aid after the March-April 2026 escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, which displaced more than a million people. Food, shelter, and other essential support for those caught in the crisis has been constantly provided.

Even so, the UNDP-backed expansion of community policing and legal aid access shows one path through which fragility and rule of law in Lebanon can improve, independent of the pace of diplomatic negotiations.

– Juan Guillermo Rueda Castrillón

Juan is based in Bogotá, Colombia and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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7 UNICEF Celebrity Ambassadors Helping Children Worldwide

UNICEF Celebrity AmbassadorsCelebrities may be known for blockbuster films, hit songs or championship titles, but many also use their influence to improve the lives of children around the world. Through advocacy, fundraising and visits to communities facing hardship, UNICEF celebrity ambassadors help bring global attention to issues such as poverty, conflict, education and health care.

UNICEF launched its Goodwill Ambassador program in 1954 when entertainer Danny Kaye became the first public figure to represent the organization. Since then, actors, athletes, musicians and digital creators have partnered with UNICEF to raise awareness and support programs that provide children with nutrition, education, medical care and emergency assistance.

1. Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown became one of UNICEF’s youngest Goodwill Ambassadors when she accepted the role in 2018 at just 14 years old. Since then, she has focused on promoting children’s rights, mental health awareness and gender equality. In 2025, Brown traveled to Brazil with UNICEF, where she met with adolescent girls to learn about the barriers they face, including gender-based violence, unequal access to education and limited opportunities to shape decisions affecting their futures. During her visit, she highlighted UNICEF’s work with local partners to create safe spaces for girls, expand educational opportunities and strengthen programs that empower young people to advocate for their rights. Brown emphasized the importance of listening to girls’ experiences and creating equal opportunities for every child.

2. David Beckham

For nearly two decades, former soccer star David Beckham has worked alongside UNICEF to support children around the world. Appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in 2005, Beckham has visited countries including Sierra Leone, Indonesia and Nepal to see UNICEF programs firsthand. In 2015, to mark 10 years as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Beckham launched the 7 Fund, named after the jersey number he wore throughout much of his soccer career. The fund supports UNICEF programs that protect children from violence, improve access to education and health care and respond to emergencies. Since its launch, the initiative has helped UNICEF reach vulnerable children in countries affected by conflict, poverty and natural disasters while advocating for lasting change for children worldwide.

3. Sofia Carson

Singer and actor Sofia Carson has become a strong advocate for children through her work as a UNICEF USA Ambassador. Beyond using her platform to encourage public support, Carson has traveled with UNICEF to learn about programs benefiting children and young people. She has highlighted UNICEF initiatives that provide children with access to education, nutrition, clean water, vaccines and mental health support, particularly in communities affected by poverty and humanitarian crises. Carson has also participated in fundraising efforts that help finance education, emergency relief and health initiatives worldwide.

4. Orlando Bloom

Since becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2009, Orlando Bloom has visited communities affected by conflict, displacement and natural disasters. His travels have taken him to countries including Bangladesh, Ukraine and Nepal, where he has highlighted the challenges children face during humanitarian emergencies. Bloom continues to advocate for access to education, health care and protection for vulnerable children.

5. Roger Federer

Roger Federer has supported UNICEF’s mission since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador in 2006. While best known for his success on the tennis court, Federer has devoted much of his humanitarian work to expanding educational opportunities for children, particularly in southern Africa. Through both UNICEF and the Roger Federer Foundation, which began investing in early childhood education in southern Africa in 2003, Federer has helped improve access to quality preschool education in countries including Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia and South Africa. The foundation has reached millions of children and trained thousands of teachers with the goal of giving young children a stronger start before entering primary school.

6. Khaby Lame

Content creator Khaby Lame joined UNICEF as a Goodwill Ambassador in 2025 after visiting programs in Senegal, where he met children and young people working to improve their communities. Having experienced financial hardship during his own childhood, Lame often speaks about the importance of creating opportunities for young people. Today, he uses his global audience to promote children’s rights and encourage support for UNICEF’s work.

7. Amanda Gorman

Poet and activist Amanda Gorman became a UNICEF ambassador in 2025, bringing her voice and advocacy to the organization’s efforts on behalf of children. Through her speeches, writing and public appearances, Gorman has emphasized the importance of education, gender equality and protecting children affected by humanitarian crises. Her work reflects UNICEF’s mission of ensuring every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Why Celebrity Advocacy Matters

The work of UNICEF celebrity ambassadors extends far beyond public appearances. By visiting communities, sharing the stories of children and encouraging governments and donors to take action, these ambassadors help bring attention to challenges that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Their influence also helps UNICEF reach millions of people through television, interviews and social media, inspiring individuals to donate, volunteer and learn more about the organization’s mission. While celebrities cannot solve global poverty on their own, their visibility helps connect people around the world with causes that need support.

As humanitarian crises continue to affect children across the globe, UNICEF celebrity ambassadors remain valuable partners in UNICEF’s efforts to improve access to health care, education, nutrition and protection. Their advocacy demonstrates how influential voices can help create meaningful change for children and families worldwide.

– Kayla Moore

Kayla is based in Lake Forest, IL, USA and focuses on Celebs for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Ugandan Resilience Program Aids Self Sufficiency

Ugandan Resilience ProgramAbout 16% of Ugandans live in extreme poverty, which is over 7 million people who make less than $1 per day. Uganda’s harsh environment makes it difficult to maintain agricultural land, so those facing financial hardships are disproportionately in rural areas. There are also about 2 million refugees from neighboring countries, many of whom are impoverished as well. However, the extreme poverty rate has decreased over the years, dropping from 20% in 2021. The decline in poverty can be largely attributed to large-scale humanitarian efforts.

Challenges in Agriculture

An imbalance between heavy rainfall and long-term droughts makes crop growing far more difficult. With these losses in production, people living in poverty have more difficulty affording the limited supply. Likewise, many farmers who rely on crop growing for their income often find themselves out of a job. This is especially devastating as more than 70% of the Ugandan workforce is employed in the agricultural industry.

AVSI Foundation’s Impact

The AVSI Foundation is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1972 that provides humanitarian aid to impoverished countries worldwide. In 2025, it helped more than 4 million people in 41 different countries.

AVSI assists large communities in various ways, such as ensuring that children receive a proper education by funding schools. It also provides emergency aid to those who suffer after a natural disaster. The foundation helped more than 150,000 students in Côte d’Ivoire through various projects by building schools and assisting many of the same students with vocational training afterward.

Ugandan Resilience Program

In 2017, AVSI launched the Ugandan resilience program in Kamwenge to help a balanced mix of impoverished natives and refugees. In the following seven years, over 13,000 households (around 58,000 individuals) were lifted out of poverty and given the tools needed to live a more independent and financially stable life. USAID contributed around $15 million to help AVSI carry out this seven-year mission.

Before the program began, USAID officials and community leaders spent months determining which families were best suited for it. After narrowing down which communities needed the most help overall, they ensured that only the most vulnerable people were included in the program.

Working Toward Graduation

Participants graduated once they had the necessary food and financial security for the future and demonstrated the ability to build resilience toward future hardships. Their abilities were based on meeting eight out of 11 criteria, which include developing long-term saving habits and maintaining basic food and shelter needs.

Depending on the level of need, participants underwent 18 to 30 months of various interventions. They attended skills training sessions designed to help them establish a career in agriculture, business, or another field that offers a long-term and stable income. Participants received monthly cash assistance for 12 months, allowing them to focus on learning to save for the future rather than spending what little they had just to survive.

There was a set schedule for the type of assistance people received during the program. The specific criteria helped determine what kind of progress each household had made and how close they were to graduating. About three-quarters of households graduated. The main reason people dropped out of the program was that they felt they already had a solid footing on their situation before the program’s end. Only 5% of households remained in extreme poverty despite being part of the program.

The Long-Term Benefits

During and after the program, more than 90% of households were able to eat during every meal, and 96% of children did not have to go without enough food at any point. Even though the program ran during the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress and overall outcome of the participating households was unaffected, further demonstrating their overall resilience.

People who graduated from the Ugandan resilience program experienced up to 60% income growth compared to before they started. Lives improved within households as well. Through coaching, participants learned more about nutrition, cooking, and maintaining sanitation. Over 1,600 women viewed gender-based violence as less acceptable.

Looking Forward

Since the original Graduation to Resilience program ended in September 2024, a follow-up program started in 2025 called Graduation to Resilience LOCAL, which will benefit individuals for another seven years. However, this new program is 10% the size of the original, largely due to cuts in USAID funding.

Despite limited funding and resources, NGOs like AVSI continue to provide humanitarian aid in Uganda to the best of their ability as the overall poverty rate continues to decline. The follow-up program still implements many of the same measures as the original, but on a smaller scale. There are various types of coaching and training still designed to help people become more independent. Other significant funding sources besides U.S. aid exist, as an anonymous donor generously gave $1.5 million to fund the new program.

– Logan Hessek

Logan is based in Northglenn, CO, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr