The Friday Humanitarian Scan #11

Countries: Iran (Islamic Republic of), Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syrian Arab Republic, Türkiye, Turkmenistan Source: International Organization for Migration Please refer to the attached file. Regional tensions escalated sharply on 28 February 2026 following coordinated strikes inside the Islamic Republic of Iran and subsequent retaliatory missile and drone activity across several Gulf and neighbouring states. The situation remains fluid, with disruptions to airspace, civilian

The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war in the Middle East, at a time when humanitarian needs are soaring and aid funding is falling dangerously short.

Toxic “black rain” linked to strikes on oil depots, mass displacement and continuing disruption to aid supply chains are upending lives across the Middle East and beyond after 10 days of war in the region, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. 

The US-Israeli bombardments have already displaced more than 3 million people in Iran, but most Iranians can’t afford the costs of seeking safe haven.

Country: Madagascar Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. HIGHLIGHTS More than 681,000 people have been affected by the impacts of two successive severe tropical systems – Cyclone Fytia and Intense Tropical Cyclone Gezani. US$23.2 million has been mobilized, part of which has contributed to the US$67.8 million Flash Appeal launched on 20 February, targeting 486,000 people to support the Government-led response. Humanitarian partners are

Country: Lebanon Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached Map.

Countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger Source: World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file. KEY HIGHLIGHTS • The humanitarian situation remains critical, with more than 415,000 internally displaced people (IDPs)-mostly women and children-driven by insecurity, climate shocks, and health crises. • Mali is hosting 164,000 registered Burkinabe and Nigerien refugees. However, an estimated 14,000 individuals remain unregistered. • In 2026, WFP plans to reach 1.1 million beneficiaries (out of

Countries: Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi Source: African Risk Capacity Please refer to the attached file. REPAIR is happy to share to share its latest news, including details of its USD42 million disbursement to Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique.

Country: Indonesia Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations In recent days heavy rain has caused flooding in West Java Province, leading to casualties and damage. According to the ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet), three people have been injured and more than 400 individuals have been affected in Bandung city, where one house was destroyed. In Bogor Regency, the flood has affected over 300 people. For the next three

Country: Ecuador Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations The humanitarian impact continues to rise as the 2026 rainy season intensifies across Ecuador. From 1 January to the present, the country has recorded 629 flood events and 612 landslides. As of 12 March, 28 rivers are already overflowing and another 34 are at risk of overflow. The provinces most severely affected remain Guayas, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Los Ríos and Manabí.

Country: Thailand Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Strong winds, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall have been affecting north-western Thailand (mainly the three neighbouring provinces of Lampang, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son) since 10 March, causing a number of severe weather-related incidents (mainly due to the strong wind) that have resulted in affected populations and damage. The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (AD

Country: Malaysia Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall continues to affect eastern Malaysia (the Malaysian part of Borneo Island), causing floods and triggering landslides that have resulted in more population displacement and damage.’ The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports, as of 13 March, a total of 320 still evacuated people throughout the Sabah state, of whom 300 are in five evacuation

Country: Ethiopia Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Torrential rains in the Gammo Zone in South Ethiopia Regional State caused flooding and landslides on 10 March 2026, affecting 11 villages, claiming at least 96 lives, and destroying property in 780 households. Altogether, around 1,950 households were affected, and all villages reported displaced populations, now sheltering in churches and public spaces. The worst-hit

Country: Pakistan Source: World Food Programme Please refer to the attached file. OVERVIEW • Pakistan, the world’s fifth most populous country, holds significant economic and human capital potential, with the Government making substantial investments to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. • Yet the country continues to face complex and overlapping humanitarian and development challenges that strain the food and nutrition landscape and constrain human capital developmen

Countries: Seychelles, Madagascar, Mauritius Source: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction The Indian Ocean region is exposed to recurring climate and disaster risks, including hurricanes, heavy rainfall, and other hydrometeorological hazards. In addition to these recurrences, countries in the region face persistent gaps in tracking disaster impact data, generating risk information, and early warning communication systems. Technical capacity for collecting and analysing primary data remains unev

Countries: South Sudan, Ethiopia Source: Inter-Agency Working Group East and Central Africa Please refer to the attached file. The Inter-Agency Working Group is issuing this Statement in solidarity with conflict-affected populations in South Sudan and the NGOs and frontline actors working to assist them. We have followed with increasing concern the recent intensification of conflict in Jonglei state, and the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) 06 March order for the relocation of civilia

Country: Lebanon Source: Lebanon Humanitarian INGO Forum Please refer to the attached file. As Lebanon has just begun recovering from the last wave of violence and displacement, renewed escalation is once again pushing the country toward a major humanitarian crisis, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Civilian losses are already devastating, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health recorded 486 people killed as of March 9th, among them 83 children, and 1,130 people woun

Country: South Sudan Sources: Logistics Cluster, World Food Programme Please refer to the attached Map.

Country: Rwanda Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

Country: Rwanda Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached Infographic.

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision-support systems are increasingly embedded upstream of the use of force, shaping how military actors plan attacks, assessing effects, and anticipating harm. In contemporary urban warfare, where civilian infrastructure forms complex and deeply interconnected systems, these tools are increasingly used to guide decisions with far-reaching humanitarian consequences. This raises critical questions for… The post Deciding under algorithms: artificial intelli

Conflict continues to fuel suffering and drive humanitarian needs in Myanmar, the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, said in a bulletin on Monday.

Between 2020 and 2025, USAID committed roughly $2.5 billion to Kenya. Now that aid has shrunk and the strain is showing up in counties, clinics, and households. Plus, the latest from the IDB meetings and CSW conference.

Devex speaks with Reena Ghelani, Plan International’s chief executive officer, about how the organization is adapting to a more challenging world for women and girls.

Since the beginning of the war, in 2012, the European Union has provided humanitarian funding to support the most vulnerable Syrians, inside the country and abroad.

Paola crossed a bridge with a backpack, her little child and no way back. She left her home, her job and her town to stay alive. Like her, thousands of people arrive every year at the border between Colombia and Ecuador, running away from threats, violence and fear.

Nigeria and Ghana foreign ministers discuss security, AES countries, Boko Haram and US operations News release jon.wallace 11 March 2026 During an event at Chatham House, HE Yusuf Tuggar and HE Samuel Ablakwa also discussed ECOWAS, West Africa-France relations, and allegations of attacks on Christian communities in the region. Ghanaian Minister for Foreign Affairs Samuel Ablakwa and Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar discussed West African security and peacebuilding in a packed ev

Humanitarian organisations

Cuts to international aid funding have plunged Kakuma, one of the world’s largest refugee camps in Kenya, into a worsening humanitarian crisis. With food rations reduced to a fraction of the minimum requirement, residents face an impossible choice.

The influx of refugees from Sudan brought international aid organisations to eastern Chad, a region that is almost entirely cut off from any infrastructure. Feelings on the ground are mixed.

“The fact that more or less all the children in the orphanage had been uprooted went a long way towards promoting integration and cohesion across ethnic borders.”

Afghanistan

Involuntary migration

Opinion: Community commitment is development’s most potent, undervalued force. Effective financing must shift to build upon the contributions and expertise of those closest to the challenges we aim to address.

Despite Congress approving $607.5 million for family planning, new U.S. policies are reshaping how global health funding is spent.

Women leaders in global health share their stories around gaps in gender equity in the global health architecture. Plus, the State Department launches a new platform that invites NGOs to apply to support bilateral health deals, and Africa CDC turns to debt swaps.

For the latest episode of our podcast series, Adva Saldinger sits down with Colum Lynch and Elissa Miolene to discuss the top global development stories of the week, including an update from the Commission on the Status of Women conference.

A new U.N. analysis comes out in favor of merging UN Women and UNFPA but activists kick against this move. Plus, news on IDB’s long-agreed capital increase, and why the U.N. is important for inclusive AI governance.

ONE Data shows that while finance from traditional donors, private investors, and China plummeted, MDBs picked up the slack – with caveats.

Opinion: Both organizations have different mandates; merging them risks weakening both mandates and funding streams, and does not serve women’s and girls’ best interests.

Feminism

Labour rights

Inclusion

Latin America

Latin America

Urban mobility

Gender equality

Urban mobility

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.

Opinion: The aid sector celebrates survivor stories but rarely funds survivor leadership. A leader raised in Mumbai’s red-light area argues that real localization means trusting communities to lead.