The Friday Humanitarian Scan #17

The UN and European Union issued a joint warning on Monday that human development across Gaza has been set back by a staggering 77 years, with $71.4 billion needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction.

War is no longer only just about killing or territory. It is increasingly about the long-term viability of societies.

The Security Council is meeting now at a critical juncture for Syria’s fragile transition. While the Iran-US ceasefire has temporarily eased regional spillover from Lebanon and elsewhere, conditions remain volatile in Syria. The reported US military withdrawal now completed, marks a milestone, yet the chamber faces a country grappling with deep internal fissures and external pressures. Follow full meetings coverage below and UN News app users should click here. 

A temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been extended, offering an opening for diplomacy – but persistent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are compounding trade disruptions and intensifying pressure on humanitarian operations and vulnerable communities far beyond the Gulf.

A UNICEF relief mission reached a large hospital in the southern Lebanese town of Tebnine on Thursday, only to find massive destruction and staggering needs.

Iran

But then the nightly showers turned torrential, and residents across the city’s informal settlements began to worry. In Baba Dogo, a small slum along the Mathare River, locals watched on the evening …

New data shows that nearly three in four countries in Europe now use Artificial Intelligence in their health services to make a diagnosis.

The Security Council meets in emergency session at 3pm to address the escalating conflict in Ukraine. The open briefing follows a formal request from Kyiv citing a surge in Russian aerial bombardments, including devastating strikes on the city of Dnipro. Ukraine has reported that between late March and mid-April, more than 5,000 drones and missiles were launched, killing dozens of civilians and injuring hundreds more. Follow full meetings coverage below and UN News app users can follow here.

Mali is currently facing one of the world’s most severe, least publicised, and most underfunded humanitarian crises – a situation likely to worsen in 2026.

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in …

Three years into the devastating conflict in Sudan, nearly four million displaced people have returned to their places of origin across the country, only to face “another struggle for survival”, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday.

Four years into a devastating war, Sudan remains firmly on the diplomatic agenda. Mediation initiatives have multiplied, but a meaningful political breakthrough remains elusive and frustration is …

The United Nations is deeply alarmed by continued insecurity in the Darfur region of Sudan and the heavy toll it is having on civilians, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Wednesday. 

Across the world, essential civilian services increasingly depend on information and communication technologies (ICTs). These same technologies are also reshaping the conduct of armed conflict. As warfare becomes more digitalized, a critical question emerges: how can civilians be protected in an interconnected battlespace? Ensuring the faithful implementation of international humanitarian law in relation to ICT… The post Upholding IHL protections against the risks of ICT activities in armed co

In 2025, nutrition supply chains were severely disrupted because of widespread funding cuts. These shortages of essential therapeutic and supplementary nutrition products severely impacted services for children already suffering from acute malnutrition.

I first came to Sudan’s Darfur region over 2 decades ago, when the world was just beginning to grasp the scale of the 1st war. I remember the dust, the long drives between settlements, the resilience of people who had already lost too much.

The work of a rescuer has always been a symbol of self-sacrifice. But for Ukrainian state emergency service personnel, in the time of full-scale war, it has become a daily act of heroism, marked by constant danger and unpredictable challenges.

Countries: Chad, Sudan Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees Please refer to the attached file. Réponse d’urgence à l’Est Entre le 1er et le 21 avril 2026, les arrivées de réfugiés soudanais dans l’est du Tchad se sont poursuivies par les points d’entrée de Kariari, Adré, Adikong et Tiné, malgré la fermeture officielle de la frontière. Ces mouvements ont continué à faire l’objet d’un suivi humanitaire et de protection renforcé. Les flux ont toutefois nettement diminué à la suite du renforcem

Country: Mozambique Source: Government of Mozambique Please refer to the attached Infographic.

Countries: Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia Source: Global Polio Eradication Initiative As the world enters the final stretch toward polio eradication, countries are accelerating efforts to reach every last child through a collaborative and combined approach: making polio vaccination not just about a single intervention but part of broader health service delivery like clean water, nutrition, maternal care, protection from other vaccine preventable diseases, and connecting with communities

Country: Brunei Darussalam Source: Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Please refer to the attached file. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Brunei Darussalam (hereafter “Brunei”) is a small, high-income, absolute monarchy on the northwest coast of Borneo Island in Southeast Asia. Its centralized governance model, substantial fiscal resources, and well-institutionalized disaster management framework enable effective responses to the country’s primary hazards – flooding and la

Country: Tonga Sources: Government of Tonga, Tonga Red Cross Society HIGHLIGHTS: • A total of 34 confirmed cases since the last report; including 2 new cases. • Age group, gender, and island distribution remain unchanged, with the majority of cases reported among age group 11 -14years, predominantly male, and highest in TongatapuIsland. • Six cases are currentlyhospitalized, 4cases are admitted at Princess FusipalaHospital, Ha’apaiand 2 cases admitted at VaiolaHospital, Tonga. • No Dengue-relate

Country: Myanmar Source: Insecurity Insight Please refer to the attached file. Attacks on Health Care in Myanmar Insecurity Insight identified at least 1911 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care in Myanmar since the military coup on 01 February 2021 and 30 March 2026. Over 70% of these incidents were attributed to the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Myanmar police. Health facilities were reportedly damaged or destroyed 493 times, 174 health workers were killed and 909 arrest

Country: Vanuatu Source: Pacific Community Please refer to the attached file. Below key highlights: Two (2) new pertussis cases were reported from Efate in Epiweek 14, bringing the cumulative total to 827 comprising 784 clinically diagnosed and 43 laboratory-confirmed cases. The cumulative number of pertussis‑associated deaths remains at seven, including six deaths in Tanna and one in Shefa. Overall pertussis activity in 2026 continues to show a declining trend compared with the peak observed in

Country: Vanuatu Source: Government of Vanuatu Please refer to the attached file. 25 new ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) cases were reported nationally between Epiweek 15 and Epiweek 16, bringing the cumulative total to 112 cases. No deaths and hospitalisations were reported during this period. Case numbers continue to increase from EW15 to EW16 and have remained above the alert threshold since EW14. Males accounted for 61% while females represented 39%. The 15-34 year age group was the most affe

Country: Vanuatu Source: Pacific Community Please refer to the attached file. ILI activity peaked in EW13 (793 cases), exceeding the threshold, before declining thereafter and remained below the alert threshold from EW14 to EW16. SARI cases decreased in EW13 ( 11 cases), the highest weekly count from EW13 to EW16, continued decreasing in EW14 (4 cases), slightly picked up in EW15 (5 cases) and declined in EW16 (3 cases). From EW13-EW16, no laboratory-confirmed cases of a specific pathogen were r

Country: Mozambique Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached files. In March, humanitarian access in Cabo Delgado remained constrained by a convergence of threats, including violence against civilians, armed clashes, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), attacks linked to cholera-related misinformation, seasonal rains, and bureaucratic impediments. Security incidents decreased from 70 in February to 47 in March, likely due to heavy rainfall limit

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: United Nations Population Fund Please refer to the attached files.

Country: Viet Nam Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Heavy rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning have been affecting five provinces of northern Viet Nam (Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa and Phu Tho) since 21 April, causing several severe weather-related incidents (mainly due to the strong wind and lightning) and a landslide that have resulted in casualties and damage. The ASEAN Disaster Informatio

Country: Kenya Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations From 21-22 April, severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds battered Mombasa and Kwale counties in south‑east Kenya, triggering localised flooding, displacing residents, damaging homes and disrupting essential infrastructure. In Mombasa county, media reports dated 22 April indicated that over 100 households were displaced, with extensive damage to dwellings. Flas

Country: United States of America Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations Wildfires have continued to burn across northern Florida (Levy, Putnam and Clay counties) and Georgia (Brantley, Clinch and Echols counties) since 21 April, causing an increased number of evacuated people and widespread damage. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as of 24 April, the ongoing active wildfires are four across the

Country: Indonesia Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations On 22 April, heavy rainfall triggered widespread flooding across Indonesia, causing casualties, displacement and damage to infrastructure. The ASEAN Disaster Information Network (ADINet) reports that, in North Sumatra, one person was injured and a total of 600 individuals were affected. Three houses were completely destroyed, together with a bridge and a school, whil

Country: Greece Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations An earthquake of 5.7 M at a depth of 13 km occurred offshore at approximately 25 km south-east of Goudoura, Lasithi (south-eastern Crete), on 24 April at 3:18 UTC (6:18 local time). There are no immediate reports of casualties and damage.

Country: World Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations N/A.

Country: Haiti Source: European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations From 13 to 15 April, armed groups conducted armed attacks in Kajak and Seguin, located in the municipality of Marigot in the Southeast of the country. The attacks resulted in the displacement of approximately 5 656 people, who found refuge with host families. This is the first time significant displacement linked to attacks in the Southeast department has been observed.

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached Infographic.

Country: Nigeria Source: Médecins Sans Frontières 24 April 2026 – Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has launched an emergency response in Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA), Borno State, northeast Nigeria, following a new wave of displacement triggered by armed violence. On 3 March 2026, attacks in Ngoshe reportedly resulted in a significant number of deaths and abductions. More than 5,000 people have fled their homes and are now living in extremely precarious conditions in P

Conflict

Humanitarian aid

Malnutrition

For the latest episode of our weekly podcast series, Senior Editor Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar and Business Editor David Ainsworth to discuss the latest news from the Skoll World Forum.

During a Devex Pro Briefing to discuss his new tell-all book, former USAID global health chief Nicholas Enrich asked that Congress “switch course and immediately reestablish the agency.” Plus, the fraying moral appeal of aid, and BII unveils new strategy.

Opinion: The race for the next U.N. secretary-general must tackle the practice of national monopolies for top U.N. roles for certain member states.

Opinion: The credit rating agency’s proposed changes to its methodology are not fit for purpose for African borrowers, and risk hindering development finance outcomes.

Years after COVID-19 exposed the oxygen crisis, patients are still dying without it.

Mike Reid, PEPFAR’s chief science officer, announced Monday that he was stepping down. Plus, PEPFAR data has finally been released, but results for the first three quarters of the last fiscal year are still missing.

The World Bank’s U-turn has put industrial policy squarely back on the table. But turning that shift into factories, exports, and jobs is far from guaranteed.

What if stronger health systems were treated as an investment and economic engine? At a Devex event with McKinsey Health Institute, Dr. Pooja Kumar points out that investing in proven health interventions could unlock trillions in value – if countries can finally scale what already works.

In Washington’s bid to restrict sexual and reproductive rights, money, rather than persuasion, is proving the most valuable lever.

As it launched its new five-year strategy, the U.K.’s DFI pushed back on fresh criticism from Bond over how much of its portfolio reaches the world’s lowest-income countries.

Lord Robertson: UK’s ‘naïve belief’ the US ‘will always be there’ has diminished its defence capabilities News release jon.wallace 23 April 2026 Lord Robertson, former NATO Secretary-General, was speaking at a Chatham House event to launch a House of Lords report on UK-US relations. Members of the UK House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee attended Chatham House on 22 April to launch their new report, ‘Adjusting to the new realities: Rebalancing the UK-US relationship’.Lord

Chatham House fellow gives evidence on China and critical minerals to UK Parliament Business and Trade sub-Committee News release LToremark 23 April 2026 Senior Research Fellow for China and the World James Kynge provided evidence on 22 April. Senior Research Fellow James Kynge gave oral evidence to the Business and Trade Sub-Committee on Economic Security, Arms and Export Controls in its new inquiry looking at the role of critical minerals, which forms part of the sub-Committee’s work on UK nat

Conflict and resources

Africa

Sustainability and public interest

Older populations

Does artificial intelligence have more positive or negative consequences for society and the planet? An interview with Theresa Züger, who developed an audit method with her research team to answer this question for individual AI projects.

US AI firms need tremendous amounts of energy, water and land for their new generation of data centres. They are finding the resources they require in Argentina, Mexico and other Latin American countries.

AI is changing the electoral process. Voters may receive calls from digital avatars, and even the deceased can deliver endorsements. At the same time, disinformation and hate speech are on the rise. Can democracy survive in the age of AI?

“Bolsonaro’s trial stands out region-wide for addressing an attempt to subvert democratic institutions.”

Artist of the month

Digital economy

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.