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Our editors’ weekly take on humanitarian news, trends, and developments from around the globe.
On our radar
UN endorses US control of Gaza as Israeli attacks and aid restriction continue
Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 33 people between 19 and 20 November, in some of the deadliest attacks since Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire last month, which has seen repeated Israeli violations. The attacks came several days after the UN Security Council passed a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump’s so-called 20-point peace plan for the enclave. The resolution “welcomes” the establishment of a Board of Peace, headed by Trump, to govern Gaza during an indefinite interim period. The plan effectively gives the US a leading role in occupying Gaza and establishes a system reminiscent of the mandates established by colonial powers in the Middle East after World War I, as our CEO Tammam Aloudat and Palestinian legal scholar Shahd Hammouri discuss in a new podcast episode. As international political jockeying over Gaza’s future plays out – without the input of Palestinians – conditions inside the enclave are still dire as Israel has continued to restrict the entry of aid and obstruct humanitarian efforts. Palestinians who spoke to The New Humanitarian described days that revolve entirely around trying to secure the basic necessities to survive. US and Israeli officials claim that aid is flooding into Gaza, but much of what is being allowed to enter is heavily processed snack items, rather than the nutritious foods needed by a population that has been deliberately starved for the past two years. As a result, people with money in Gaza can buy chocolate more easily than eggs, and powdered cappuccino mix more easily than milk – and these items are beyond the means of many who remain wholly dependent on aid. For more, read: Hobbled by obstruction and uncertainty: Gaza’s post-ceasefire aid response.
Trump wades into Sudan deal-making
After several dubious (to say the least) “peace” interventions in various conflict hotspots around the globe, President Trump appears to have turned his attention to Sudan, following a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a visit to Washington. The State Department was already working on a humanitarian ceasefire between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under the “Quad”, which also includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, but Trump’s involvement could give the process more bite. A ceasefire will require Trump to convince the region’s main meddlers to de-escalate – especially the UAE, which is heavily backing the RSF, and Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which side with the SAF – though a deal cut between Middle Eastern states could end up sidelining Sudan. So far, both Trump and previous US administrations have soft-footed around the UAE’s role, though recent comments from Secretary of State Marco Rubio hint at a shift in tone. Trump’s preference for deal-making over actual peacemaking will be worrying for anyone hoping for a durable process centred on civilians, and Sudan has plenty of precedent for transactional “payroll peace” deals that simply divide the cake between armed men. Still, whether today’s armed actors are ready for any kind of deal is far from certain. The SAF has consistently snubbed truce offers, and although the RSF keeps accepting them, it only does so on paper, while continuing to massacre civilians on the ground. The large number of rebel groups, militias, and civilian defence forces lined up behind both sides only adds to the chaos of an incredibly messy war that is having horrific consequences for civilians, as our latest report from Darfur lays bare.
What regime change might really mean for Venezuelans
As the US steps up its carrot-and-stick bid to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, concerns are growing over the unintended consequences of the Trump administration plans. According to a New York Times report, Trump – who had already deployed a massive military presence in international waters near Venezuela and ordered deadly strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats – has now authorised CIA plans for broader military operations in Venezuela whilst also continuing to float the idea of a negotiated exit. Maduro reportedly offered to step down after a two-year transition, but the White House rejected it (and the Venezuelan regime denied it). Maduro has expressed his willingness to talk, but he isn't backing down on the military front either. On 20 November, he presented a “comprehensive defence plan” that includes heavy weaponry and missiles and relies on the eight million Venezuelans who his government claims to have enrolled in the Milicia – the civilian branch of the country's armed forces – since August. While the odds of a US invasion remain anyone’s guess, some experts worry that the US has no plan for the aftermath of any regime change, which could plunge Venezuela into chaos and violence. In an oil-rich country ready for a guerrilla-type response, fighting could ensue between military units, rival political factions, and organised crime groups, further deepening a humanitarian crisis that has seen at least one in four Venezuelans leave the country since 2015.
Nicki Minaj joins campaign over “Christian genocide" in Nigeria
In a world of digital diplomacy, Nicki Minaj fits the bill. She has lent her star power to a growing social media campaign calling on President Trump to halt an alleged “Christian genocide” by Muslims in Nigeria. Despite many well-reasoned arguments pointing out that the crisis is not about religion, Trump doesn’t see it that way and has again threatened military action. There has been a backlash by Nigerians on X to Minaj’s intervention – although to be fair there was also support. Two events this week have turbo-charged the tension. Gunmen attacked a church in central Kwara state during a service, killing two people and abducting 38 worshippers. CCTV footage showed the masked men methodically picking up the abandoned handbags of the congregants, reinforcing the point that much of the violence is criminal. Armed men also stormed a predominantly Muslim girls school in northwest Kebbi state, kidnapped 25 students, and killed the Muslim deputy headmaster. In a viral tweet, US lawmaker Riley Moore claimed the attack had occurred in a “Christian enclave” – a categorisation rejected by residents. “Americans, either do not understand the complexity of Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, or you are deliberately pushing unholy narratives,” a former presidential adviser noted.
The neglected humanitarian crisis
One in three women around the world have experienced partner or sexual violence, a new UN report warns. As this year’s international day for the elimination of violence against women nears (25 November), the report adds up the data for a crisis that remains neglected and underfunded: The top-line figure has barely moved in 25 years, the World Health Organization said. The risks are amplified in humanitarian emergencies, while the prevalence of partner violence is triple the global average in climate-vulnerable and conflict-affected areas. And new tech is adding another dimension: think extortion, doxxing, revenge porn, or cyberstalking using app location data, among many examples. Meanwhile, funding is collapsing, including global aid budgets. Programmes on gender inequality or even the prevention of violence against women are among the first to be cut as aid money evaporates (only a fraction of a percentage point of aid funding went to this latter category in the first place), while countries’ domestic funding for prevention is uneven. But there are steps forward, which some governments are taking faster than others, the WHO says: scale up prevention programmes; strengthen health, legal, and social services for survivors; track data; and enforce laws and policies that empower women and girls.
G20: A US semi-boycott tests South Africa
President Trump doesn’t like global institutions – but he’s also doubling down on South Africa. Earlier this month, he announced a US boycott of the G20 summit in Johannesburg – the first time it has been held on the continent. He said South Africa’s hosting was a “total disgrace” (a reference to his “white genocide” hoax). Then, virtually on the eve of the 22-23 November gathering, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he’d heard Washington would attend “in one shape, form or other”. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shot back that Ramaphosa was “running his mouth”. She and other White House officials insisted that although the US acting ambassador would show up, this would only be at the closing ceremony when South Africa hands over the G20 presidency to the US as next year’s host. The South African government, feeling understandably testy, insisted it wouldn’t hand over to an envoy. Ramaphosa noted instead that an empty chair has been reserved for the US in the summit hall. “I don't want to hand over to an empty chair, but the empty chair will be there,” he said. The summit was supposed to be about global issues like debt and climate heating. Washington has been stubbornly obstructionist in the pre-summit negotiations, but that may not be enough to block a final declaration by world leaders.
Weekend read
“It’s as if a nuclear bomb went off”: Jamaican communities fight to recover from Melissa
“We’re rationing water; we only have one jug left and we don't know how to get more.”
Almost a month after one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the region, many Jamaicans remain largely cut off from outside assistance.
And finally…
Defensive Trump normalises state-sanctioned murder and misogyny
“Quiet piggy” were the words President Trump snapped to Catherine Lucey, a female reporter who had the temerity to ask a question about something he didn’t like: the Epstein files. It was followed a few days later by Trump admonishing another female reporter, Mary Bruce, who dared to ask him and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the latter’s involvement in ordering the assassination of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose body was cut up with a bone saw at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Trump attacked Bruce for “embarrassing our guest” at the White House. Nothing is new about Trump’s on-the-record misogyny, but outrage is growing at the normalisation of his behaviour. “These incidents are not isolated; they are part of an unmistakable pattern of hostility – often directed at women – that undermines the essential role of a free and independent press,” said a statement from the Society of Professional Journalists. Trump took another swipe at criticism of his authority on 20 November, posting “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” in response to Democratic Congress members calling for the military to ignore illegal orders.
