We all know the feeling — you start the year on a wave of optimism, but by the time you reach December, you’re worn down and jaded. The nature of work in global development means you’re often surrounded by difficult news. This year has seen relentless stories of budget cuts, job cuts, and multilateral negotiations yielding limited progress.
But it’s important to remember that there is good news out there, too. Amid the doom and gloom, there have been stories to make us smile. As we reach the end of the year, we thought we’d remind you of some of them. Here’s what went well in 2024.
Believe it or not, humanitarian needs fell this year. By late November, humanitarian funding needs for the year stood at $49.6 billion, with 323 million people in need, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. That’s down from a peak of 363 million people in need at the end of 2023, with funding needs of $56.7 billion at that time. Better yet, OCHA predicts that humanitarian needs will fall again in 2025.
About the author
Jessica Abrahams@jiabrahams
Jessica Abrahams is a former editor of Devex Pro. She helped to oversee news, features, data analysis, events, and newsletters for Devex Pro members. Before that, she served as deputy news editor and as an associate editor, with a particular focus on Europe. She has also worked as a writer, researcher, and editor for Prospect magazine, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg News, among other outlets. Based in London, Jessica holds graduate degrees in journalism from City University London and in international relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.
