The New Humanitarian

Iran war displaces 4 million, Israeli settlers ramp up West Bank attacks, and Cuba awaits a controversial flotilla: The Cheat Sheet A weekly read to keep you in the loop on humanitarian issues.

In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on the humanitarian news headlines this week, here’s a quick catch-up from our specialist editors: ⬇️

Iran war: America’s shame and the continuing ruination of a region There’s not one axis of evil but two, and countless people – and their hopes, dreams, and aspirations for better lives – have been crushed in between.

"Looking at the collective record, the unavoidable truth is that there was not one axis of evil but two, and innumerable people... have been crushed in between."
@ericreidy.bsky.social writes about the American-Israeli war in Iran: ⬇️

Will the next World Food Programme chief answer to Trump? The next WFP chief could help the UN emergency food agency save millions of lives – or walk away from a starving world.

That’s why WFP is at a crossroads, and the stakes could not be higher, writes Sam Vigersky of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Read: ⬇️
buff.ly/guDvNcP

Trump appointee forcing WFP to procure exclusively from America, or to prioritise unprincipled aid at the direction of Washington, is not out of the question. The standoff between the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the UN last year previews how the latter might look.

Trump holds the cards: He can dangle restored financing should a loyalist take the helm, or threaten to gut support if his candidate is blocked.
A consideration that would have seemed far-fetched a few years ago must be taken seriously today: preserving the integrity of the WFP itself.

If past is prologue, the seat will be filled with a US-nominated candidate – empowering President Donald Trump to reshape the organisation under his vision of humanitarian statecraft. But after a year of US hostility to the UN and a funding retreat, will Guterres honour that unwritten agreement?

World Food Programme boss Cindy McCain will step down. This means a big dilemma for UN Secretary-General António Guterres. (Thread) 🧵

The southern Mexican border city of Tapachula has a long history as a stop on the migration trail to the US. Now, 10,000s of people are stranded their as a consequence of Trump administration policies.
@ericreidy.bsky.social reports: buff.ly/1opoFT2

Targeting disabled people, West Bank annexation, and what next for WFP? The Cheat Sheet A weekly read to keep you in the loop on humanitarian issues.

In case you haven’t been keeping tabs on the humanitarian news headlines this week, here’s a quick catch-up from our specialist editors: ⬇️ buff.ly/poxGPoI

Trump's immigration policies, the US's slashing of foreign aid, and past policies aimed at deterring migration are crashing into each other in the southern Mexican border city of Tapachula, where 10,000s of Haitians, Cubans, and Venezuelans are now stranded:
buff.ly/1opoFT2

“City of forced waiting”: Stuck at Mexico’s southern border Every day, people forced to flee countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are arriving in the city of Tapachula, with nowhere else to go.

The Trump admin has made it virtually impossible for people to seek asylum in the US. What does that mean for 10,000s of Haitians, Cubans, and Venezuelans still being forced to flee?
@ericreidy.bsky.social reports from Tapachula, Mexico:

The growing threat of conflict in the Horn of Africa With no sign yet of a diplomatic off-ramp, this analysis explores the conflict dynamics that could lead to war.

Here are four potential scenarios over what could happen next in the Ethiopian-Eritrean crisis – and why.

On the road to DR Congo’s Uvira, a peace deal cooked up in Washington shows its true face A journey to the South Kivu city exposes the hollowness of the US-mediated accord.

A journey to the South Kivu city exposes the hollowness of the US-mediated accord. ⬇️ https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/opinion/first-person/2026/02/03/road-dr-congo-uvira-peace-deal-cooked-washington-shows-its-true-face

As Israel tries to push out many of the NGOs that have formed the backbone of the Gaza aid response, the past conduct and statements of some the organisations vying to take their place have raised questions about their political interests and partiality.
Read our investigation: buff.ly/J2A4RfR

US humanitarian funding: “One country cannot redefine principles by dictating discriminatory policies, or by putting its QR code on a relief box. Humanitarians must not become the Amazon of emergency relief.” buff.ly/WdULXT7

Fear and survival: Reflections on a year under M23 rule in Goma A journalist reflects on the occupation of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest city.

How has M23 rule reshaped everyday life in Goma? How are residents coping with the economic crisis since the rebels seized the city? A Congolese journalist reflects on these questions a year after the Rwanda-backed group took control.
Read: https://bit.ly/3On918d

Repatriating children from Syria’s IS camps is the right thing and the smart thing to do Bringing children home from the al-Hol and al-Roj camps both upholds their rights and protects them and society from the threat of violent extremism.

Opinion: Keeping children in dangerous limbo is neither protective nor sustainable.

Why Tanzania’s mass repatriation of Burundi refugees must be stopped Detentions, torture, and the extra judicial killings of government opponents is prevalent in Burundi, and a threat to returning refugees.

Tanzania is ramping up efforts to push out the remaining 142,000 Burundian refugees in the country, threatening to close all camps in the coming few months.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1

Compliant aid: Who are the Israel-approved NGOs scaling up in Gaza? As established groups that see advocacy as part of their mission are banned, a new cohort is being given preferential treatment to take their place.

A largely new cohort of NGOs scaling up in Gaza can roughly be divided into two categories: those that appear well-intentioned but have chosen to barter silence for access, and others that seem more politically aligned with Israeli authorities.
Read our investigation:

Q&A: What next for humanitarians and the global gag rule? The global gag rule will hit US humanitarian funding for the first time. Health advocates warn of chaotic responses and over-compliance – and highlight what to prioritise.

“Chaotic” disaster response scenarios, the risk of over-complying, and advice on what humanitarian groups should prioritise: Unpacking the US global gag rule and its impacts on humanitarian aid: ⬇️

Burnout in the aid sector and how to respond | Rethinking Humanitarianism Humanitarians have a “burnout culture”, experts say. They work long hours in difficult environments. They’re trying to help people in the worst moments of their lives. In the middle of today’s…

Gemma Houldey, author of The Vulnerable Humanitarian, talks about her experiences with burnout as an aid worker, and what she learned from talking to hundreds of aid workers.

Listen to #RethinkingHumanitarianism: buff.ly/QlnGESv

On the road to DR Congo’s Uvira, a peace deal cooked up in Washington shows its true face A journey to the South Kivu city exposes the hollowness of the US-mediated accord.

A peace deal was signed by the presidents of DR Congo and Rwanda in Washington last December, yet days later the Kigali-backed M23 rebel group launched a new offensive.

A reporter travels the road the rebels advanced along, exposing the agreement's emptiness: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/40dXR8h

Thousands of children remain unlawfully detained in al-Hol and al-Roj camps in northeast Syria. buff.ly/YnQzjbW

Why Tanzania’s mass repatriation of Burundi refugees must be stopped Detentions, torture, and the extra judicial killings of government opponents is prevalent in Burundi, and a threat to returning refugees.

Burundian refugees remain in a desperate situation. They are too scared to return home, but are unsafe in Tanzania, which purportedly provides them with asylum.
https://bit.ly/3Zj1hq1

Sign Up: Newsletters and Email Alerts The latest humanitarian news, direct to your inbox

Looking for a regular catch-up and lookahead on global humanitarian news from a dedicated team of editors? Sign up to receive our weekly Cheat Sheet: ⬇️
https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/subscribe

Let’s not pretend the US wants to fund principled humanitarian action The US is trying to redefine humanitarian principles by dictating discrimination. Humanitarians – and other donors – must draw a line.

The US is co-opting pooled funds. Other donors must draw a line, writes Ed Schenkenberg van Mierop: ⬇️

Arrests and red tape: How Burkina Faso’s junta is throttling humanitarian aid Military rulers are tightening control through access bans, legal threats, and control of data.

Aid workers say mounting pressure from Burkina Faso’s military rulers is making it much harder for them to reach civilians affected by the country's long-running jihadist conflict.

After Rwanda-backed M23 forces withdrew from the Congolese city of Uvira, Banyamulenge civilians faced looting and attacks, but also political instrumentalisation from rebel forces and government officials.
buff.ly/Nk5K7QP

Q&A: What next for humanitarians and the global gag rule? The global gag rule will hit US humanitarian funding for the first time. Health advocates warn of chaotic responses and over-compliance – and highlight what to prioritise.

🗣️ “We don’t yet know how humanitarians are going to deal with this because they've never had to deal with it before.” Humanitarians and the global gag rule: ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4tqZuwT

Opinion: “The latest version of the US global gag rule is an ideological throttlehold on foreign aid.”
buff.ly/WdULXT7