The Friday Humanitarian Scan #24

After two and a half years of siege and blockade, the challenges staff and patients still face are extreme. Yet the world's attention has moved on.

In the village of Kafr Amma in the Aleppo countryside, 10-year-old Leen has recently returned home with her family following years of displacement caused by conflict.

Jamila*, a nurse at Jabal Amel hospital in Lebanon, shares her testimony following an Israeli strike in the vicinity of the hospital on 1 June 2026.

One of DR Congo's leading virologists assesses the response so far and emphasises local efforts that would strengthen the country's health system.

In Hajjah governorate, Yemen, people continue to be at risk of snakebite envenoming, a neglected tropical disease that can cause death and long-term disability.

A powerful earthquake struck the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday morning just as millions of children were returning to school after the summer break.

As the Security Council met on Afghanistan, senior officials and civil society representatives delivered a clear warning Monday: despite relative security under the Taliban, worsening humanitarian conditions, restrictions on women and growing economic pressures are creating a fragile and uncertain future. 

Climate change is intensifying water insecurity in fragile urban settings, where ageing infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and inequality already strain access to essential services. In Peshawar, Pakistan, a city hosting generations of Afghan refugees and facing growing water scarcity, climate pressures have reduced river flow, damaged infrastructure for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and increased waterborne… The post Climate resilience is not optional: what people in fragile, urban s

In Ebola-stricken eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) a massive push for early testing and contact tracing is helping to contain the virus, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Escalating attacks on bridges, roads and other civilian infrastructure in Sudan are disrupting humanitarian access and putting civilians at further risk, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Head of Chatham House Ukraine Forum gives evidence to UK Parliament Defence Committee on Ukraine war News release jon.wallace 9 June 2026 Orysia Lutsevych provided evidence on 9 June, discussing Ukraine's war effort, the impact of the war on civilians, and public attitudes towards a ceasefire with Russia. Head of Chatham House's Ukraine Forum Orysia Lutsevych gave oral evidence to the UK Parliament Defence Committee on 9 June, during a one-off session – discussing the outlook for the war in Ukra

Under the threat of sexual violence, women – and especially "minority" women – have learnt to become invisible.

As Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, conditions in southern Ukraine have rapidly deteriorated. Maintaining humanitarian operations has become an increasingly complex balancing act between enabling aid delivery and managing risk.

Director of Chatham House UK in the World Programme gives evidence at Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee News release jon.wallace 10 June 2026 Olivia O'Sullivan gave evidence on the purpose and focus of the Integrated Security Fund, at a time of changing priorities for UK security. Olivia O'Sullivan, Director of Chatham House's UK in the World Programme, gave evidence to the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 June, discussing the Integrated Security Fund, which aims to tackle high-

Conflict and displacement do more than destroy homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure. They also fracture the social relationships through which people sustain dignity, identity, and collective life. Yet humanitarian responses often focus primarily on individuals as beneficiaries, measured through categories of vulnerability, targeting, and service delivery. In many conflict settings, this approach can actively erode the… The post We helped individuals while harming persons: what conflict-affe

WFP hushes up, WFP partner Palantir boasts about war, and a new NGO alliance gives Boston Consulting Group a redemption arc.

The government is wagering that short-term economic pain is a worthwhile cost of stopping the spread of the virus, but not everyone agrees.

MSF is outraged by the arrest and detention of one of our employees as part of the enforcement of dress code requirements in Herat, Afghanistan.

Local actors feel frustrated. International humanitarian groups only seem interested in "localisation" when there's no money. When there's $2 billion on the table, the system returns to normal.

Raising industrial energy productivity is central to strengthening competitiveness, supporting the green transition and improving resilience to energy price shocks. This policy brief highlights …

Culture

Football stories

The PES Network has added 15 new practices to its PES Practices database, showcasing how Public Employment Services across Europe are responding to labour market changes and evolving skills needs.

Travelling abroad for holidays is exciting, but accidents can happen. While you are travelling, the European Health Insurance Card gives you access to necessary medical services in Europe.

Good News

Football

Mark Green renews call for domestic resource mobilization; a macroanalysis of global health reform; and why are the Ebola numbers fluctuating?

The White House puts forward a name to lead on global health security and HIV. Plus, confirmed Ebola cases double in just over a week, and Gates invests in Africa's medical products regulatory systems.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is evolving into a de facto crisis financier, potentially developing a playbook to help keep economies alive in war and fragility.

From off-grid solutions to nuclear power, AfDB energy chief Kevin Kariuki explains what it will take to expand electricity access across the continent.

The nuclear revival reaches the continent – and so do some difficult questions.

Families have lost food assistance, small businesses have lost customers, and residents say economic opportunities are disappearing in communities already strained by a decade of conflict.

Opinion: If global cooperation is to regain trust, it must deliver where people live: through the local and regional governments closest to their daily lives.

Opinion: CorpsAfrica's "Pitch Days" are proving that community-led entrepreneurship and local philanthropy can unlock more sustainable, accountable, and scalable development solutions across Africa.

Opinion: The Trump administration's choice to lead PEPFAR is unusual compared to recent PEPFAR leaders. What does this signal for the institution?

Representatives from EU countries gathered for the 25th meeting of the Child Guarantee Coordinators. Under the Cyprus Presidency, discussions focused on strengthening the European Child Guarantee and reviewing progress in its implementation.

Energy

Can crisis banking become a model? Plus, HIV numbers are moving in the wrong direction, and U.S. lawmakers make the case for foreign aid.