Academic and writer Julie M. Norman has been visiting the West Bank for two decades. Here, she writes about the dramatic deterioration of conditions that has taken place in the shadow of Gaza over the past two years: ⬇️

The flood of RSF videos from El Fasher have offered a glimpse of the horror unfolding there but not its full scale. Survivors say countless killings went unrecorded, and that abductions and ransom demands have soared as the RSF monetises its brutality.

Gaza is the most flagrant example of trends that have been developing in the international system for over 20 years, argues Khaled Mansour, a former UN spokesperson who watched these developments from a front-row seat. buff.ly/w6fQHDn

While there’s a lot of concern about individual wars, such as Ukraine or Gaza, the rise of war itself seems to be flying completely under the radar, warns David Harland, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue: ⬇️ buff.ly/xkM0thQ

Fighters from the Rapid Support Forces have filmed themselves committing mass killings in Darfur’s El Fasher – even as their leaders sat in US-sponsored peace talks. The city’s fall marks a new horror in Sudan’s war, reports journalist and human rights defender Ahmed Gouja. ⬇️

“Humanitarian responses should not last forever.” Global funding cuts – and the international humanitarian system's response to them – are a pivotal moment for emergency aid. How it’s unfolding in Cameroon: ⬇️

Economic hardship and youth unemployment have long been persistent challenges in Iran, and have sometimes become drivers of major protests – such as “the Bloody Aban” demonstrations in 2019. But the current downturn has been unusually sudden and deep.

🗣️ “Why don’t you meet in Bangkok? The food is fabulous.” In the latest Inklings newsletter: Notes on reform, Gaza fundraising, Sudan blockades, and humanitarian cuisine choices.

Khaled Mansour was working for the UN in 2001 when he watched the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Centers from a restaurant in the Gaza Strip. Looking back, he traces a line from the aftermath of that day to the war that has destroyed the enclave. buff.ly/w6fQHDn

“For more than two decades I have called the Dzaleka Refugee Camp home. Now funding cuts have triggered a dramatic downsizing of UNHCR, sparking fears that it could even close entirely, leaving its 56,000 refugees stranded.” Ndizeye Innocent, Burundian refugee living in Malawi. ⬇️

Kenyan elites do not seek to build institutions to restrain power but rather movements to capture it. Read:

A surge in drone attacks and airstrikes across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has left families traumatised, schools emptied, and thousands displaced. Read:

While some argue that AI imagery can be a force for democratisation, others worry that it is simply repackaging harmful stereotypes. Read more:

As a UN spokesperson, Khaled Mansour watched as powerful states eroded international law and bent humanitarian aid to serve their interests following 9/11. Gradually, he lost faith in the humanitarian system. Now, he argues, it must be constructed anew.

Can the post-World War II rules on war be restored? David Harland, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, says it’s very unlikely, and that nothing new will replace them until a fresh crisis lets new “winners” reset the rules. buff.ly/xkM0thQ

🚨 New newsletter: Inklings explores all things aid and aid-adjacent. Today: The humanitarian sector’s ageing reform pact will live to fight another day, but in what shape? Also: Who’s fundraising off Gaza, and why bureaucracy is “suffocating” aid in Sudan.

This year, drone strikes have surged dramatically across Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Islamabad claims the intensified operations are a much-needed response to the growing number of security incidents, but many of the victims are civilians?

“Why war in general gets so little attention is not well understood. It may be because there are now so many wars that war itself has become normalised, or it may be that war is no longer the only existential threat to life on Earth.” ⬇️

A surge in drone attacks and airstrikes across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has left families traumatised, schools emptied, and thousands displaced. Read:

The post-World War II “rules-based order” designed “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” has collapsed. What are the alternatives? ⬇️

In DRC’s south Lubero, near the Ugandan border, residents live under the abuse and control of M23 rebels – their stories largely untold as media attention centres on major eastern cities like Goma. 🧵

Given the recent hostile stance the Trump administration has taken on trans rights, and massive funding cuts, what can the humanitarian sector do better for LGBTQI+ people and staff? Our latest episode of #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

“Most people's views aren't as black and white. They're more nuanced, and they're more complicated, and they're more informed by personal stories and their own experiences of gender than we may suspect.”@saskiabr.bsky.social buff.ly/Cak95PY

"Life doesn’t return through political decrees and signatures on paper. It might return when we dare to look in the mirror without fearing what we survived." Palestinian journalist Rita Baroud on the ceasefire in Gaza: buff.ly/sC5P5mz

UNHCR: Who could be the next UN refugee chief? A look at a few of the names: buff.ly/mKmhyOa

What happens when aid stops without a clear transition plan? The fallout from the humanitarian rollback in Cameroon:

Economic hardship and youth unemployment have long been persistent challenges in Iran, and have sometimes become drivers of major protests – such as “the Bloody Aban” demonstrations in 2019. But the current downturn has been unusually sudden and deep.

"I tried to smile. But inside me was a storm of questions without answers: Will the truce last? Will they allow aid in? Can houses be rebuilt before people collapse?" Palestinian journalist Rita Baroud on reacting to the ceasefire in Gaza from exile:

The New Humanitarian has published 36+ articles written by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past two years, sketching an intimate outline of the Israeli military campaign’s brutal trajectory. Here's an overview:

Progressive activists are losing the global battle on messaging and coalition-building amid a global gender backlash. But there are ways to reverse the backslide. Listen to the latest #RethinkingHumanitarianism to hear ideas from @saskiabr.bsky.social.

Who could be the next UN refugee chief? @michellelangrand.bsky.social of @genevasolutions.bsky.social looks at a few of the names:

"My little daughter asked innocently, 'Mama, does that mean no more bombing?' I answered, choking back tears, 'Yes, my love, the bombing is over… death is over.'” Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal on the announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip: ⬇️ buff.ly/TZiLkdi

"I have no place left to live in Gaza except this tent, which, it seems, will be my companion for many years to come." Read Palestinian journalist Rasha Abou Jalal's latest on the announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip:

“These peace deals are not a path to stability – they are a dangerous illusion”: Idris Mohamed on the problem with Nigeria’s bandit amnesty agreements. buff.ly/6FpngGx

The goal of enabling the Rohingya to return home to Myanmar remains distant until their security and rights are guaranteed. Say Joe Freeman and Carolyn Nash. Read their op-ed: ⬇️

The New Humanitarian has partnered with five slam poets from eastern DRC, commissioning original works that confront the reality of war and the resilience of Congolese communities facing a brutal insurgency by the M23 rebel group.

In a poem commissioned by The New Humanitarian, Congolese artists criticises a recent US-brokered agreement between DRC and Rwanda, which is framed as a peace deal but tied to opening up avenues for American investment in Congolese minerals. buff.ly/xtF0XJq

Somalis abroad send hundreds of millions of dollars home each year, more than official aid flows. Read: ⬇️

As rebels seize their towns, spoken-word artists battle censorship and violence. Read:

Dear readers and listeners, we would like your input on an important question: “What image comes to mind when you think of a ‘humanitarian’ or the word ‘humanitarianism’?” Please send a short voice memo to [email protected]. Your answer might be used in a future episode of our podcast!

Check out a who’s who of the biggest bandits in Nigeria’s northwest in this new op-ed by Idris Mohamed.

Two years into Israel's war in Gaza, the international legal system has been thrown into crisis by what law professor Tom Dannenbaum calls “the backlash of the powerful”. Read our latest Q&A:

In our latest episode of #RethinkingHumanitarianism, Jasmin Lilian Diab talks about how queer community organisations have broken barriers in humanitarian responses in Lebanon.

🚨 New newsletter: Inklings explores all things aid and aid-adjacent. Today: UN80’s humanitarian reset fingerprints, the next UNHCR chief, and the future of the Grand Bargain.

Poorly structured amnesty deals embolden bandits, undermine government legitimacy, and perpetuate impunity in Nigeria, argues security analyst Idris Mohamed and recommends six ways amnesty deals can be done better.

Top UN official in Gaza Suzanna Tkalec has praised Israeli authorities while presiding over a deteriorating humanitarian system in Gaza. Read more: ⬇️

🗣️ “Efficiency is not a neutral concept.” Humanitarians are chasing AI efficiency, but this brings new risks: buff.ly/Cy6RLCR

“If you're not going to follow basic human rights principles in terms of the way that you engage with your own workforce, then what business do you have doing humanitarian work at all?” Emily Dwyer on #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

Israel has intercepted dozens of boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla and arrested the activists on board. In our latest op-ed, TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat, who joined the flotilla for part of its journey, reflects on what it means for humanitarian action.

“For me, the distinction between activism and humanitarianism, if ever applicable, is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold. Humanitarians have coupled their efforts and reputations to a multilateral system that is clearly failing people in crisis.” TNH CEO Tammam Aloudat: