This week we take an in-depth look at USAID’s localization report. While in certain countries the agency has already significantly surpassed its localization target, in others it is struggling to get close to it. We discuss why that might be and contemplate how USAID can get closer to channeling 25% of its eligible dollars to local levels by 2025. On the topic of USAID, we also dive into the findings of an investigation by the USAID Office of Inspector General that show the agency did not...

This week we are at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. We delve into what we are hearing on the sidelines of the event, particularly how U.S. vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris would approach foreign policy and assistance. In this week’s episode we also discussed our exit interview with outgoing British International Investment chief Nick O'Donohoe, who highlighted that his successor will have to find the balance between focusing on the...

This week the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization both declared mpox as a public health emergency. This is the first time the Africa CDC declared a public health emergency as it aims to increase its autonomy. There have been more than 17,000 suspected cases across the African continent, more than the total number of cases reported in 2023. In the United Kingdom, the International Rescue Committee is set to shed 1 in 9 staff as it faces a...

In a world of growing humanitarian needs, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is shining a light on those who risk their own lives to save others. Founded in 2015 to commemorate the Armenian Genocide, the Aurora Prize awards $1 million annually to an individual whose actions have made a significant impact in preserving human life in the face of adversity. In this special episode sponsored by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, Raj Kumar is joined by Aurora co-founder Noubar Afeyan, Memory...

After U.S. President Joe Biden opted not to run for reelection, his vice president, Kamala Harris, seems poised to become the official nominee of the Democratic Party. We explore how she would approach U.S. foreign policy, as well as provide an update on Project 2025. We also discuss our exclusive story in which we reported that the Biden administration is to resume food aid delivery in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, even as it exchanges fire with the Iranian-backed rebel movement....

As localization continues to be a hot topic in global development, nearly every international nongovernmental organization seems to be rethinking their role in the aid sector, and debating how, when, and if they should continue showing up. We discuss how INGOs are aiming to rebalance the equation between INGOs and local groups, and whether the reforms will help empower and give voice to local communities. This week we also published an interview with PEPFAR chief John Nkengasong, who warned...

Is the era of the “humanitarian cowboy” over? This week, Devex contributor Lauren Evans wrote a piece analyzing what’s become of this common aid worker stereotype — often a charismatic, risk-taking white male who moves from one disaster or conflict zone to the next — and whether, in the era of localization, there’s still room for them in the humanitarian space.   As part of Devex Pro week — a week of in-depth analyses and conversations for our Pro members — Devex Business Editor David...

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives has proposed drastic cuts to foreign aid and United Nations funding in a 2025 budget bill that it passed last week, including ending funding to Ukraine. While the bill is unlikely to make it through the Democratic-led Senate, the House bill is something of a blueprint for the months ahead and how a new Donald Trump administration would approach foreign policy. On the topic of Republicans, we reported that Trump is distancing himself from the...

This week British voters head to the polls to elect the country’s new prime minister, with the Labour Party set to end 14 years of Conservative rule. While Keir Starmer’s government is not planning to immediately restore development spending to 0.7% of gross national income, nor reestablish The Department for International Development, we discuss whether a change in leadership will affect the country’s aid and migration policy. The United Kingdom is not the only country cutting its aid...

This week we look back at an article we wrote earlier this month on the WHO Foundation, which has funneled $24 million to the World Health Organization since its launch in 2020. We examine the foundation’s strategy, including its plans to ensure that donor funding to WHO is seamless and aligned with its priorities. Also on the topic of global health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance launched its $9 billion replenishment target. We examine the key takeaways from the organization’s next five-year...

This week we take a look at Republicans’ approach to foreign policy if Donald Trump were to win in the upcoming U.S. presidential elections in November. From implementing cuts to changing the United States’ foreign aid priorities, we dig into what a second Trump presidency would mean for the global development sector. We also reported on new data from USAID which shows that just 9.6% of the agency’s eligible dollars were channeled toward local groups last year — rather than major...

This week we take a look at the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, where 578,000 have been displaced, mostly due to violence. We explore what is being done to address the hardships faced by the affected population, including bringing essential food supplies, as well as discuss what life is like on the ground. On the topic of food insecurity, we also dig into a UNICEF report, which found that 181 million children under age 5 worldwide are experiencing severe food poverty — which can have lifelong...

This week we reported on a House foreign affairs subcommittee hearing in which Republicans tried to paint the U.S. government’s entire approach to foreign assistance as wasteful and counterproductive — but they faced pushback from Democrats who argued that human rights grants are critical in the global contest between democracy and autocracy. The hearing took place against the backdrop of a proposed House of Representatives budget bill that would impose an 11% cut across U.S. foreign...

In 2020, media reports and an independent investigation revealed one of the largest sexual misconduct scandals in U.N. history, in which more than 50 women accused ebola aid workers — including World Health Organization staffers — of sexual exploitation and abuse during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic of Congo.   At last year’s World Health Assembly, WHO’s Dr. Gaya Gamhewage spoke at length about the organization's new policies for addressing sexual misconduct allegations....

This week Devex’s editorial team was on the ground in Geneva, Switzerland, closely following the conversations taking place at the 77th World Health Assembly. As well as attending the summit itself, we also hosted Devex CheckUp @ WHA 77, our very own event happening on the sidelines of the main event. From following the pandemic treaty negotiations to addressing global health issues, we provide an update from the conference that brings together health leaders from around the world. We also...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health of populations across Africa were put at risk because of dysfunctional global health systems. For example, African nations were at the back of the queue for medical countermeasures, including vaccines. In the wake of the pandemic, leaders across the continent have worked to build stronger health systems — but there are still barriers at the international level standing in the way.  At this week’s World Health Assembly in Geneva, health leaders from...

A two-year negotiation process for a pandemic treaty concluded on Friday without reaching a consensus, as countries remained divided on numerous provisions, including technology transfer and equitable access to medical products. This week, health officials at the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, will need to determine the next steps. Before Friday’s decision, Devex Senior Reporter Jenny Lei Ravelo spoke with K.M. Gopakumar, legal adviser for the Third World Network, an...

This week we report on Kenyan President William Ruto’s visit to Washington, D.C., the first by an African leader since 2008. We dig into what the occasion means for the relationship between Kenya and the wider African continent, including whether it will lead to closer economic ties between the United States and Africa as a whole. During the conversation, we also look back at our interview with Sen. Chris Coons about the visit, in which we discussed the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or...

This week marked a significant development in the philanthropic world with Melinda French Gates resigning from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to focus on the "next chapter" of her philanthropy. As part of the separation agreement with her former husband Bill Gates, French Gates will receive an additional $12.5 billion for her work on behalf of women and families, an area which she has been pushing to get involved with. On the topic of philanthropy, we also took a look at where...

The European Parliamentary elections will take place next month, and with anti-aid and anti-migrant parties poised to make big gains, there are fears for the future of the world's second-largest development budget. According to one senior Brussels politician, the controversial swiping of €2 billion from the development pot to fund a crackdown on illegal migration could just be the start of the European Union’s reduced focus on supporting global development initiatives. We explore how...

This week we discuss the establishment of the Africa Club by the African Union, an initiative that the continent’s leaders hope will drive reform of the global financial architecture. With African states currently spending more on debt repayments than they are on health care or climate action, the goal is for the alliance to leverage more funding for global development efforts. On the topic of Africa, we also reported on a gathering of African leaders who outlined their funding priorities...

IDA, or International Development Association is the world bank’s fund for the poorest countries. IDA provides grants and low-cost loans that countries can use for a variety of needs from health to education to infrastructure. This year it's up for replenishment and so the bank is going to donors to ask for a new influx of capital. In this episode, we speak to Dirk Reinnerman, the Director of the IDA Resource Mobilization and IBRD Corporate Finance at the World Bank, about his pitch to...

In this episode of the Devex Book Club podcast, President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar sits down with Microsoft's Juan M. Lavista Ferres to talk about how he got his start with computer science, what AI can do (and what it can’t), and how Beluga whales can help detect war crimes in Syria.

Juan M. Lavista Ferres got his start with AI for good in an unlikely way: He really didn’t want to go hiking. While working at Microsoft running randomized control experiments, Ferres had a colleague who was raising money for research on sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, to which he had lost a child. The campaign involved climbing the Kilimanjaro mountain — decidedly a no-go for Ferres. Ferres didn’t want to climb a mountain, but he did want to contribute to his friend’s cause. So...

Last week we were the media partner at the Global Inclusive Growth Summit hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The conference focused on how access to financial services are key to helping drive global development in low- and middle-income countries. During one of the events, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley stressed the importance of debt restructuring in order to help low- and middle-income countries overcome health and climate change challenges. We discuss the value...