This week’s Friday Humanitarian Scan (20–27 February 2026) covers 69 articles across 10 sources on humanitarian and development. This week was a turbulent week marked by the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, also with escalating crises in South Sudan and Sudan’s North Darfur, and mounting pressure on the global aid system as US funding cuts continue to ripple through the sector. From Gaza’s catastrophic conditions to Somalia’s doubling hunger figures, the breadth of need is stark. On the other hand, debates around leadership, localization, and the future of cash assistance point to an aid architecture under strain.
February 20, 2026 – February 27, 2026
This week’s scan covers 69 articles from 10 sources.
US2 billion in country-based pooled funds is about to drop. This is a moment for the humanitarian community to demonstrate what we know works. Cash is ready – here’s what needs to happen next.
Chatham House appoints Owen Jenkins as Research Director for Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific News release jon.wallace 24 February 2026 Owen will join Chatham House on 9 March. Owen Jenkins will join Chatham House as Research Director for Africa, Middle East and North Africa, and Asia Pacific on 9 March.Owen is a senior British diplomat and highly experienced leader in international affairs. He most recently served in the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The U.S. will provide up to $22.5 million to Panama over the next three years, with Panama cofinancing the agreement by increasing its own health domestic spending by over $11 million during that timeframe.
The Bill Gates-Jeffrey Epstein ties force an awkward reckoning inside global philanthropy on how wealth, power, and virtue are intertwined. Plus, NGOs in Gaza go to court over Israel’s demands for more information about their employees.
Opinion: Africa’s critical mineral wealth presents a generational opportunity. Additive mining will be a key approach to ensure the sector’s potential for development impact is realized.
This article highlights the development organizations that recruited the most staff last year amid the ongoing invasion in Ukraine.
For the latest episode of our podcast series, David Ainsworth sits down with Anna Gawel and Catherine Cheney to discuss the top global development stories of the week.
The U.S. will wind down health aid to Zimbabwe as President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa pushes for sovereignty. Plus, how the Trump administration is planning to replicate the World Health Organization.
Europe’s SDG progress is stalling, threatening the region’s historic role in global poverty reduction and undermining public trust in multilateral goals.
With backing from the United States – long its largest donor – wavering, a leadership test looms at the world’s largest humanitarian agency.
Opinion: They shape legislation, vote on budgets, and provide the legitimacy link from state to citizen, but how can parliamentarians shape global health in a time of fragmentation? By acting together and summoning political courage.
The majority of the NGO’s leadership is currently acting on an interim basis rather than permanently filling their roles.
Democracy vs autocracy
Children in conflict
Afghanistan
Refugees
Humanitarian crisis
Crises and conflicts
From crowd-mapping data to AI surveillance, technology-based security tools are on the rise in Indian cities with the increasing presence of women. But real change depends on redesigning public spaces for women and challenging gender norms.
From crowd-mapping data to AI surveillance, technology-based security tools are on the rise in Indian cities with the increasing presence of women. But real change depends on redesigning public spaces for women and challenging gender norms.
What makes a city liveable? Many of the problems faced by Nairobi – and the ways they are being tackled – are typical of big cities in the Global South.
Addis Ababa is a prime example of how a city can change when walking and cycling are taken seriously. Over the past few years, the capital of Ethiopia has invested heavily in non-motorised transport as part of its wider urban transformation.
“The urban-rural divide remains one of Armenia’s biggest structural problems to this day. Everything is concentrated on Yerevan.”
Urban mobility
Urban traffic
Restoring the planet’s environmental health is indispensable
Art with a developmental connection – compiled for you by the D+C editorial team.
Around the world, access to education must be made easier and its quality has to improve
In view of multiple crises, state agencies must stay able to invest in crucial infrastructure and services
Empowering women and girls is crucial to achieving gender justice.
International relations
Ukrainian ambassador Valerii Zaluzhnyi says future wars will require ‘technological alliances, not treaty articles’ News release thilton.drupal 23 February 2026 The Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK addressed the evolution of the war in the four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the future ‘robotization’ of war. At Chatham House, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK said future conflicts will be fought by ‘autonomous and semi-autonomous robotic systems’. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s
Although fighting had been raging in the east of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, most in the country did not believe all-out war would occur. With the full-scale invasion now reaching the four-year mark, many Ukrainians cannot believe it has gone on for so long, with no end in sight.
Renewed fighting in South Sudan’s Jonglei state has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians in recent weeks, damaged health facilities, fuelled the spread of cholera and prompting the UN relief chief to warn of a “perfect storm” of conflict, climate shocks and deprivation.
Reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine will cost almost $588 billion over the next decade, or nearly three times the estimated GDP in 2025, as housing, energy and other critical sectors continue to come under fire from Russian forces.
Islamic legal traditions and the modern framework of international humanitarian law (IHL) emerged from different contexts and traditions, but they share many underlying values – such as restraint, humanity, and the protection of those not (or no longer) participating in hostilities. Islamic law therefore offers a distinct but complementary perspective to IHL on the sanctity… The post Islamic law and the right to life in armed conflict appeared first on Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog.
In Ukrainian, the name of February – лютий, Liutyi – carries meanings that go far beyond a calendar reference. It can mean fierce, harsh, bitter, merciless, cruel.
Concerns have been raised about the “coercive” repatriation from Tanzania of Burundian refugees, many of whom do not want to return to their home country.
The number of people in Somalia facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled to 6.5 million since last year as hunger levels rise due to worsening drought, conflict and soaring food prices.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022 shattered the peaceful aspirations of an entire continent, but war must never be the new normal, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday.
Funding shortfalls are putting the lives of more than 1.9 million displaced people in South Sudan at risk amid rising humanitarian needs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday.
‘The needs are enormous,’ said Thibault Larose, who helps oversee EU humanitarian programmes in Sudan. ‘We are seeing famine-like conditions. People arrive after days-or even weeks-on the road, often without any belongings or support.’
More than seven decades after their adoption, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 remain foundational to contemporary international humanitarian law (IHL). Efforts to update their Commentaries testify to both the resilience of the Geneva Conventions and their enduring relevance in modern armed conflicts. Yet the story of their making is inseparable from the longer history… The post The adoption of the 1949 Geneva Conventions: a humanitarian break and colonial continuity appeared first on Human
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached Infographic. In January 2026, a total of 37 incidents affecting humanitarian actors were reported across eastern DRC, representing a decrease compared to the 48 incidents recorded in December. Of these 37 incidents, 16 (43 per cent) occurred in South Kivu, 15 (41 per cent) in North Kivu, three (8 per cent) in Ituri, three (8 per cent) in Tanganyika and zero in Man
Countries: World, Australia, French Polynesia (France), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Tonga, Tuvalu, United States of America, Vanuatu Source: Pacific Community Please refer to the attached Map. Éléments nouveaux/faits marquants intervenus depuis la diffusion de la carte précédente sur PacNet, le 17 février 2026 : Dengue Nouvelle-Calédonie : La circulation de la dengue a continué de s’
Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Médecins Sans Frontières A pesar de la fecha límite del 1 de marzo para que 37 ONG abandonen los Territorios Palestinos Ocupados, MSF se compromete a permanecer allí y seguir prestando asistencia Barcelona, 27 de febrero de 2026.- Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) pide una ampliación masiva de la asistencia vital y un acceso humanitario sin obstáculos en medio de la catástrofe que se vive en Gaza, donde se siguen perdiendo vidas debido a la violencia sos
Countries: Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan Source: Danish Refugee Council Please refer to the attached file. Despite ongoing humanitarian efforts, child protection risks in Uganda’s refugee response remain structural and persistent. Children’s exposure to harm is closely linked to family separation, precarious economic situation and limited access to education and social services. Without sufficient system capacity and targeted interventions, these risks are likely to accum
Country: Moldova Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Această traducere a fost realizată automat și poate conține erori.Vă rugăm să verificați originalul în limba engleză. Această compilație face parte din eforturile Forumului de Coordonare a Refugiaților (RCF) de a sprijini organizațiile locale din Moldova să acceseze oportunități de finanțare în conformitate cu eforturile de localizare. Am colectat informații din diverse surse online și le-am compilat ai
Country: Dominican Republic Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall has been affecting the northern and central Dominican Republic (in particular the Monte Cristi, Espaillat, Duarte and Monseñor Nouel provinces) since 24 February, causing floods, overflowing rivers and triggering landslides that have resulted in population displacements and damage. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Soc
Country: Chile Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall and strong winds have been affecting northern Chile (in particular the three neighbouring regions of Tarapacá, Antofagasta and Atacama) since 24 February, causing several severe weather-related incidents and floods (only in the Atacama region) that have resulted in population displacements and damage. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresc
Country: Malaysia Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall has been affecting eastern Malaysia (the Malaysian part of Borneo Island) since 21 February, causing floods and flash floods that have resulted in population displacement and damage. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and media report, as of 27 February, nearly 4 000 people have been evacuated to 17 temporary eva
Country: Brazil Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations The humanitarian crisis and extensive destruction caused by floods and landslides in Minas Gerais since 23 February in south-eastern Brazil have worsened. Among the hardest-hit areas are Juiz de Fora and Ubá in Minas Gerais, Lajes do Muriaé and Nova Iguaçu in Rio de Janeiro, and Peruíbe in São Paulo. According to government reports, as of 26 February, at least 55 fatali
Country: Vanuatu Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations A new tropical storm named URMIL formed over the South Pacific Ocean (north-east of Vanuatu) on 24 February and started moving south-west toward northern Vanuatu as a tropical depression. It passed over the Pentecost, Ambrym and Malekula islands (northern Vanuatu) on 25 February as a tropical depression. On 27 February at 0.00 UTC, its centre was located offshore appro
Countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Pakistan conducted air and ground strikes overnight targeting multiple locations inside Afghanistan, including reported strikes in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktika. Pakistani officials state that the operations were aimed at Taliban government facilities and associated infrastructure. Afghan authorities report launching retaliatory operations along the bord
Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Despite the 1 March 2026 deadline for 37 NGOs to leave Palestine, MSF is committed to remaining to provide assistance. Under international humanitarian law, the Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, are obliged to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance. Governments worldwide must ensure that International Court of Justice decisions are respected, including facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistanc
Country: Mozambique Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached Infographic.
Countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file.
Country: Viet Nam Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Please refer to the attached file. FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT Sowings of 2026 winter/spring paddy crops progress at average level Paddy crop production estimated at average level in 2025 Cereal import requirements forecast at well above‑average level in 2025/26 marketing year Prices of rice lower year‑on‑year in January 2026 Sowings of 2026 winter/spring paddy crops progress at average level Planting of the 2026 winter
Country: Madagascar Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. Mots du Coordonnateur Résident des Nations Unies Environ 632 460 personnes ont besoin d’aide humanitaire d’urgence, à la suite des effets dévastateurs du cyclone tropical Fytia et du cyclone tropical intense Gezani, qui ont causé des dégâts sévères en raison de pluies torrentielles et de vents violents, ainsi que d’importantes inondations depuis fin janvier 2026. Au total, plus d
Country: Afghanistan Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file.
Country: Afghanistan Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file.
Country: Afghanistan Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file.
Country: Sudan Source: Norwegian Refugee Council Please refer to the attached Infographic. Operational Context & Approach Since April 2025, and again since October 2025, Tawila has faced two main waves of displacement driven by renewed conflict, forcing many families into multiple cycles of flight. In this month’s document, the October displacement wave is reflected, in an effort to provide a better understanding of the displacement waves. The displaced population is primarily concentrated i
In case you missed the previous Friday Humanitarian Scan posts here they are:
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