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Add to Preferred SourcesFewer than 1 in 4 aid missions given the green light in Gaza, escalation spells disaster for civilians in Yemen and a significant rise in irregular border crossings in 2023. Here is what you missed from last week’s headlines in the international development sector.
Gaza: Fewer than 1 in 4 aid missions given green light, says OCHA
The Israeli authorities have continued to block lifesaving aid from reaching northern Gaza 102 days since Hamas-led terror attacks triggered the war, UN humanitarians have insisted, just as UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that “the long shadow of starvation” stalks the people of Gaza.
“In the first two weeks of January, only 24 per cent – seven out of 29 – of planned missions to deliver food, medicine, water and other lifesaving supplies successfully reached their destinations north of Wadi Gaza,” said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Echoing those concerns and highlighting the dire situation everywhere in the enclave, OCHA worker Olga Cherevko said that conditions were awful for displaced people in the south of Gaza, too.
“Some people have not eaten in days,” she said on Tuesday in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. “The children have no winter clothes. There’s no medical care. […] The extent of needs is enormous.”
Yemen: Escalation spells disaster for civilians still reeling from crisis say INGOs
The INGOs undersigned 26 aid organisations operating in Yemen, express grave concern over the humanitarian impacts of the recent military escalation in Yemen and the Red Sea. The humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains one of the largest in the world and escalation will only worsen the situation for vulnerable civilians and hinder the ability of aid organizations to deliver critical services.
The organizations urge all actors to prioritize diplomatic channels over military options to de-escalate the crisis and safeguard the progress of peace efforts in Yemen. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, and safe, unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance must be guaranteed. Within the wider regional context, it also reiterates the call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza to save lives and avert further instability across the region.
Nearly nine years of war have left more than 21 million people – over two-thirds of the population – in desperate need of food, water, and lifesaving assistance. Millions of Yemenis face widespread displacement, food insecurity, and limited access to basic services.
Significant rise in irregular border crossings in 2023, highest since 2016
The number of irregular border crossings at the EU’s external border in 2023 reached a total of approximately 380,000, driven by a rise in arrivals via the Mediterranean region, according to preliminary calculations by Frontex. This marks the highest level since 2016 and constitutes a 17% increase from the figures in 2022, indicating a consistent upward trend over the past three years.
The Central Mediterranean was the most active migratory route into the EU, accounting for two out of every five irregular crossings (41%) in 2023, followed by the Western Balkans (26%) and Eastern Mediterranean (16%).
Syrians accounted for over 100,000 irregular crossings last year, the highest number among all nationalities. They were followed by Guineans and Afghans. These three top nationalities accounted for over a third of all detections.
The statistical data shows that women accounted for 10% of the total number of all irregular crossings last year, and children accounted for another 10%.
DevelopmentAid Editorials
The benefits of joining strong professional databases
Being a member or a user of a robust database of experienced professionals can bring a significant boost to your career or elevate your business. What type of information databases might you encounter in your daily work and how exactly could this make a difference to you? We will be talking about these points in today’s article.
Hero Stories | ‘Beyond Consulting’: the path to sustainable strategies and impactful solutions
Marwan Ata‘s journey extends far beyond the conventional realms of consulting. In this exclusive DevelopmentAid Hero Stories interview, Marwan, the visionary founder of Beyond Consulting, unveils the transformative narrative that led him from his early experiences working with top global consultancy firms to the establishment of Beyond Consulting. With over a decade of experience as a strategic planning and management consultant, Marwan’s commitment to going ‘beyond’ expectations has propelled Beyond Consulting to become a trusted leader. Join us to explore the innovative methodologies that define Beyond Consulting’s success in 155 projects, serving over 100 clients and supporting 155 start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Will technology make some jobs obsolete? More US workers believe so.
An increasing number of U.S. workers are worried that they will become obsolete as a result of the latest technological developments, according to latest polls.
The impact of AI on the labor market has garnered great attention owing to various trends and hype. Cutting-edge technology, including robotics and machine learning, has the potential to automate routine tasks across multiple industries. Backed by research data that indicates that by 2030, AI may force between 400 and 800 million people to change their careers or lose their jobs, these concerns seem to be well grounded. The sectors most vulnerable to job loss due to automation include manufacturing, customer service, transport, and data entry.
The role of civil society in monitoring and evaluating development aid projects
Across the world, development aid projects play an important role in helping individuals and societies transition out of poverty and towards a more sustainable standard of living. Oftentimes, aid programs are exclusively viewed through the lens of either the donor, financial auditors, or the implementing agency. However, civil society organizations (CSOs) can often play an important role in monitoring the implementation and evaluating the effectiveness of aid programs.
What do the membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova mean for the EU? | Experts’ Opinions
In December 2023, the European Council gave the green light to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine to join the European Union. This process has been accompanied by long debates and uncertainties and there remain many different opinions on the issue, with both states facing a long road ahead before obtaining official EU membership. Does the historic decision affect only the two countries or the entire European Union? Let’s check out some opinions about this from DevelopmentAid experts.
Key Takeaways:
- On December 14, 2023, the European Council decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and granted candidate status to Georgia.
- During the negotiations, the countries must implement EU legislation and standards. For a country to become a member of the EU, all member states and the candidate countries must sign and ratify the Accession Treaty.
- According to experts, this decision has the potential to expand the EU’s population and economic boundaries, creating larger markets for goods and services within the EU itself.
- Aligning with the EU frameworks, standards and policies is a lengthy and complicated process. Setting the stage for this could take up to between five and seven years, according to experts. However, experts outline “unprecedented level of public support within the EU” for both countries which could influence the process.
- The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine are two of the poorest countries on the European continent.
Here’s what else has happened
Senegal: UNOPS and UNICEF worked with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to support the government of Senegal’s goal of increasing access to education.
Colombia: With 3,000 people displaced in Colombia’s Pacific region in the first two weeks of January alone, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) calls on the authorities in areas affected by armed conflict to step up support to the victims of mass displacement and confinement.
Germany: The German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is donating EUR 1.95 million (approximately CHF 1.85 million) to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to enhance developing countries’ compliance with international food safety, and animal and plant health standards for trade. The contribution reflects Germany’s commitment to strengthening global food systems, protecting resources, improving livelihoods, and boosting economic development.
Finland: Finland continues to support the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine with four million euros in 2024–2025. Finland’s support emphasizes disability inclusion, gender equality, and prevention and combatting of violence against women.
Ecuador: At least 770 child and adolescent homicides were recorded in Ecuador in 2023, a drastic increase of 640 percent from 104 cases in 2019, according to the latest estimates by the local Ministry of Interior.
Zambia: Responding to a severe cholera outbreak in Zambia, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 4 million Swiss Francs. This fund is aimed at supporting the Zambia Red Cross Society, in its auxiliary role to Zambia’s Ministry of Health, to mitigate the impact of the outbreak on affected communities and prevent further spread.
Reports
UNAIDS launches new approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of the HIV response
As countries work to reach the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, planning is urgently needed to sustain the gains from the HIV response beyond 2030.
With that in mind, UNAIDS has released the “HIV Response Sustainability Primer” which proposes a new approach to ensure the sustainability of the HIV response. This holistic approach includes programmatic, political, policy-related, and financial aspects of the HIV response. The new Primer provides the rationale, the definitions, and an in-depth explanation of this new sustainability approach.
“The moment is right, the imperative is now, the global HIV community must come together to dialogue about what is needed to sustain the HIV response by and beyond 2030,” says Jaime Atienza, Director of Equitable Financing at UNAIDS. “We are calling on leaders to initiate national conversations about the future state of a sustained HIV response, and the transformations needed to achieve and sustain impact, by and beyond 2030, including looking at the policy changes, donor commitment, and investments needed to translate them into results and concrete changes at country level.”
New report from ASPIRE: Endeavours for peace for young South Sudanese refugees in Uganda
DRC announce the first publication of analytical findings in the ASPIRE project. Aspiring for Peace and Inclusion Research (ASPIRE) is a long-term ethnographic research project that DRC is implementing in partnership with the University of Copenhagen and UNHCR.
WHO releases AI ethics and governance guidance for large multi-modal models
The World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing new guidance on the ethics and governance of large multi-modal models (LMMs) – a type of fast-growing generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology with applications across health care.
The guidance outlines over 40 recommendations for consideration by governments, technology companies, and healthcare providers to ensure the appropriate use of LMMs to promote and protect the health of populations.
LMMs can accept one or more types of data inputs, such as text, videos, and images, and generate diverse outputs not limited to the type of data inputted. LMMs are unique in their mimicry of human communication and ability to carry out tasks they were not explicitly programmed to perform. LMMs have been adopted faster than any consumer application in history, with several platforms – such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bert – entering the public consciousness in 2023.
“Generative AI technologies have the potential to improve health care but only if those who develop, regulate, and use these technologies identify and fully account for the associated risks,” said Dr Jeremy Farrar, WHO Chief Scientist. “We need transparent information and policies to manage the design, development, and use of LMMs to achieve better health outcomes and overcome persisting health inequities.”
Events
Exploring the Top NGO Roles Affected by AI | Webinar
As the influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) expands across numerous industries, including NGOs, its impact on job roles within these organizations has become a significant topic of discussion. AI is reshaping critical functions such as program and grant management, compliance, advocacy, and communication. Nonetheless, despite its potential threat to jobs, AI can also serve as a tool of empowerment and cause a revolution in the workplace.
DevelopmentAid, in collaboration with Ali Al Mokdad, Senior Strategic Manager in the nonprofit sector, will be holding a webinar to delve into the transformative effects of AI on key roles within the NGO sector. The event aims to provide NGO professionals with insights into how, rather than replacing jobs, AI can enhance and revolutionize them, empowering workers to focus on the more strategic and impactful aspects of their roles.
Key takeaways
- The Top Roles Impacted: A look at the NGO roles most likely to be influenced by generative AI between 2024 and 2025.
- Key Risks and Ethical Considerations: An exploration of the potential challenges and ethical dilemmas posed by AI integration in NGOs including data privacy, biases, and the balance between automation and human judgement.
Intensive Affordable Housing Programme
📅 22 April 2024
London
A practical learning experience in creating enabling conditions to expand the supply of affordable housing in emerging economies.
This is a one-week immersive training course and study tour hosted in London by Crown Agents and Altair. It is designed for high-level government officials, policymakers and private sector leaders working to deliver affordable housing across Africa and Asia.
The Intensive Affordable Housing Programme is an immersive training and study tour designed to provide practical learning on how to create and expand the supply of affordable housing whilst exploring policy frameworks, the distinctive role of government and private sector institutions in stimulating the supply of affordable housing, capital markets funding options, regulatory and legal frameworks to enable implementation of effective housing systems in emerging economies.
This comprehensive programme aims to equip high-level government delegates with the knowledge, skills, and networking opportunities necessary to tackle the affordable housing challenge in their respective countries more effectively.