The Friday Humanitarian Scan #29

After thousands of buildings were destroyed in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war, local teams and civil defense personnel continue the arduous and delicate mission to remove rubble and search for the remains of missing persons believed to still be buried under the debris of homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.

Displacement has drastically reshaped every aspect of daily life in war-ravaged Gaza for 24-year-old Mayyada, who is seven months pregnant with twins and caring for her two-year-old daughter, but now she and her family are getting settled into a temporary home of their own.

In Aida Camp, in the West Bank, where Bethlehem, Beit Jala, and Jerusalem converge, daily life unfolds amid constrained, crowded conditions. Here the local football pitch has become a vital community space and a rare source of recreation, connection and resilience.

Humanitarians in the Gaza Strip continue to face significant challenges in reaching communities located near the so-called "Yellow Line" in northern Rafah, the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Tuesday. 

Access to education continues to worsen in the West Bank, the United Nations reported on Wednesday. 

The UN is supporting farmers in Gaza who are struggling to rebuild their smallholdings in areas devastated by the Hamas-Israel war.

With violence in south Lebanon significantly decreased since mid-June, UN peacekeepers there have returned to core functions such as protecting humanitarian aid and restoring critical infrastructure as families continue to return home.

Some 3.7 million children under five in Afghanistan are at heightened risk of malnutrition due to food insecurity, poor diets and inadequate access to basic services as the peak season for life-threatening wasting looms. 

MSF's latest report details attacks on the medical system in Ukraine.

MSF's latest report documents attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, indicating a deliberate strategy to destroy the medical system.

Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from "unknown chains of transmission", the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

With EU support, the Marhetak project has improved the preparation and coordination of cross-border crisis management in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine.

After two months, the response to the Ebola disease outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo remains insufficient.

From visa processors to refugee registration and humanitarian aid, states have outsourced public functions to intermediaries a step removed from domestic scrutiny.

Thousands of people remain displaced three weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela and the possible formation of a strong El Niño climate pattern could worsen their already dire situation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned on Thursday.

The country-by-country allocations released by the U.K. government today alongside its Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's annual report reveal which countries will see the sharpest decline in U.K. aid in the coming years.

The EQAVET Greek National Reference Point organised a peer review on the link between continuing vocational education and training and micro-credentials to assess an initiative on the potential introduction of micro-credentials in CVET.

Population growth

Plutocracy

The Digital Skills and Jobs Platform joins the European Skills & VET Week in championing the development of skills, talent and opportunities across Europe.

Six pilot projects were selected and launched under the new Skills Guarantee. The pilot has a budget of €14.5 million and will support almost 1,200 European workers at risk of unemployment in the car industry by offering them on-the-job training and new jobs in growing sectors.

The European Skills High-Level Board, presented by its Chair, Ylva Johansson, handed over its first conclusions. The conclusions call for regional and sectoral skills ecosystems to reskill adults faster and closer to where jobs actually are.

Good news

Opinion: The challenge facing international development is not simply a shortage of capital – it is the absence of sufficient mechanisms capable of channeling capital effectively, particularly into fragile and underserved environments.

The collaboration remains in early stages, but if approved, would mark the first time the Global Fund and Green Climate Fund have jointly financed programs.

A look at how demand for these roles has evolved.

U.S. International Development Finance Corporation CEO Ben Black testified at a House Foreign Committee meeting Wednesday where he was questioned about agency priorities and ethics.

Today, the European Commission adopted updated rules for its traineeship programm making the scheme more accessible, inclusive and aligned with Europe's skills goals; for the first time, VET graduates can apply.

The European Commission has proposed €6.5 million in EU funding to help 1 928 workers who lost their jobs in Belgium and Spain. The money would come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF).

Fanuel Leul creates digital worlds inspired by history and culture. Two of his artworks are featured in the D+C March issue.

Artist of the month

Sascha van Beek, a member of Germany's national parliament, said transparency in the process is important to maintain "public and parliamentary confidence in multilateral institutions."

For the latest episode of our podcast series, David Ainsworth sits down with Catherine Cheney and Thomas Cserep to discuss the top global development stories of the week.

Plus, concerns over transparency in the selection of the Global Fund's next leader, and hiring trends for project directors.

The Global Fund's secretariat proposes dissolving its independent evaluation team. The fund also explores new ways of working with the Green Climate Fund. Plus, a U.S. embassy statement draws criticism.

As AI creates vast new fortunes, could global development benefit? Devex convened experts to debate whether an AI philanthropy boom is really coming- and what organizations should do now to prepare, regardless of whether the money arrives.

Development regime