Blogs

Under the dark skies of Sekota, where the threat of rain looms over the dusty market, amidst the vibrant chatter and bleating of goats, Wirqa Bere, a 20-year-old single mother from the nearby community of Birbir, stands with renewed hope. 

I chose to work as a humanitarian because, at the core, I'm driven by a sense of shared humanity. While everyone is human, we all make different choices, and for me, the path to humanitarian work was guided by both circumstance and the organizations I became involved with.

In a manmade war, female activists like Khaidja have defied rigid gender norms to forge peace and safety in Yemen, risking everything for their seat at the peace table.

Our team drove through Harasta today, a town near the capital of Damascus that has witnessed heavy destruction. The scene of buildings with their roofs collapsed to the ground had become all too familiar. Piles of rubble stretch as far as the eye can see, making one wonder about the lives of the people who once lived there - are they still alive? Will they ever come home? Did they find shelter? Were they able to start anew or are they still struggling to rebuild their lives? From afar, the effects the conflict has left on people's lives might not be so visible with…

Two years since the escalation of war in 2022, Ukraine is struggling to support those who are most vulnerable across the country. In 2022, as a result of Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell by almost 30%. With five million people internally displaced (IDP’s) , providing services for those in need is getting more complicated.  There is a shortage of housing for those whose homes were destroyed, and many people cannot support themselves.

Oleksandra, 22, is a community social worker on gender-based violence. She is a part of the dynamic team of Rokada, a Ukrainian charitable foundation that works with internally displaced people (IDPs) and other vulnerable communities whose lives have been strongly affected by the war.

I felt a buzz of energy and calm when I was at the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development — a feeling quite different from the heaviness of the tragedies unfolding in many parts of Africa.Tropical storm Filipo, just a year after the devastating Cyclone Freddy, has left hundreds of thousands of people in Mozambique in urgent need of humanitarian support. In Kenya, where I live, relentless waves of torrential rains and deadly floods have displaced thousands of people and caused severe damage to infrastructure. 

Europe faces a shift in the political landscape, marked by a rise of far-right and euro-sceptic political parties. While the next few weeks may see some political jostling, centrist parties are set to hold their majority. However, the European Parliament will likely see more fragmentation and less consensus building, as the increase of the far-right will lead to a focus on short-term, self-serving agendas or even political gridlock. But we cannot let that happen. There is simply too much at stake.   

After the atrocities committed on October 7, 2023, Israel’s escalation in Gaza is the most brutal onslaught of violence carried out against Palestinians during the 57-year-long Israeli occupation. Before the latest escalation of violence, over 80% of the population in Gaza relied on some form of humanitarian aid for survival, and life in the Gaza Strip was characterised by the almost total restriction on travel and trade, and the absence of social safety nets and livelihood opportunities. However, life for the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped inside Gaza has turned into an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.  

Gambella, in Western Ethiopia, has become a refuge for almost 400,000 people from South Sudan, fleeing their homes due to conflict, droughts and flooding. Among them, women and young children make up the majority. Join us on a journey through a day in the lives of the women living in Gambella. Delve into these stories of strength and resilience, despite the challenges of life in the camps

On 18 - 19 March, the EU, UN, EU countries, INGOs and partners will meet in Brussels to discuss and shape the humanitarian agenda. At this third edition of the European Humanitarian Forum, the implications of the current, most pressing humanitarian crises will be explored, focusing specifically on the humanitarian funding gap and on neglected crises worldwide. The Forum comes at a critical moment with staggering humanitarian needs and right before the June European Parliament elections.  

Dear chocolate lovers,                       Happy Valentine! I hope you get to spend this special day with your loved ones, celebrating the love with your favorite chocolates and other sweets. My name is Leticia A Yankey, a cocoa farmer from Ghana. I'm writing you this love letter, from Amsterdam where I'm attending the Amsterdam Cocoa Week from 6-11 February 2024.At this conference, I have the chance to meet with various stakeholders in…

The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) is a vital platform for systematizing commitments made by the international community under the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees to enable collective action to support the well-being of refugees and forcibly displaced people globally. It is vital that the outcomes of the 2nd GRF, to be held this week between 13-15 December, address the priorities of refugees and host communities living in major refugee-hosting countries.

It is the time of the year again, where festive decorations are filling the streets of the Netherlands. The joy of end of year celebrations can also be felt in Dutch supermarkets. Coming into December, all snacks, candies and chocolates are wrapped and shaped in colorful festive packaging. Since I moved to the Netherlands, I always followed the Dutch Sinterklaas culture of buying chocolate shaped letters to celebrate. But this year, I feel differently about the chocolates in front of me. This now reminds me of my trip to Ghana, back in September. Chocolate has a bitter aftertaste, somethings which leaves me very uncomfortable.

One hundred local food plants for improving nutrition is the title of the new book published by Oxfam, written by Gisella Cruz-Garcia, Konstantina Maria Togka, Hilton Mbozi and Bert Visser. This book will become the best friend for those who are keen to improve their nutrition, and help others to do that, with the consumption of local food plant biodiversity.

Due to the occupation and illegal blockade by the Israeli government, Palestinians have been living under insecurity and oppression for years. In recent days, violence has increased, resulting in many Palestinian as well as Israeli civilian casualties.

The mid-term review of the EU's 7-year budget, the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), comes at a critical moment. In an era dubbed "perma-crisis," where humanitarian aid and development cooperation struggle against a cascading stream of constant crises, it's time for the European Commission to face reality. This review is an opportunity for the European Commission to give EU countries a frank appraisal of the financial resources needed to live up to the EU’s ambitions of being a global champion of human rights, poverty eradication, tackling inequality and climate action and a leader in crisis response. The EU countries must respond by allocating more funding so that the EU’s aspirational rhetoric doesn’t turn into empty promises.

On World Humanitarian Day 2023, Amalin Patnaik, Programme Coordinator at Oxfam in India, shares the lesser-known facets of humanitarian work and his journey of helping victims and families after the tragic train collision in Balasore, Odisha.

With 10 + years of experience leading program development and management at country and global levels, Mrs. Justine Gomis Tossou is passionate and committed to uplifting the most vulnerable communities. An outstanding facilitator, she has a proven track record serving in many international organizations in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Islands. Justine is known for her excellent ability to provide cost-effective solutions and impactful, and lasting contributions to complex development issues.

The termination of the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia is mostly portrayed as hurting poorer countries. However, United Nations figures on the grain deal show that only 2.5 percent of the grain was destined for countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan, countries ravaged by conflict and climate change. Slightly more prosperous countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia and Bangladesh received 17 percent. Europe and China got most of the cake. The question is to what extent the grain deal has really improved the availability and affordability of food in the world's poorest countries, and in reducing hunger. As it turns out, while nearly 800 million people worldwide still go to bed hungry every day, the reach of the grain deal has been limited. Food-deficit countries ultimately benefit more from supporting small farmers and developing local food markets.