The cease-fire in the Gaza strip is holding, but that’s not likely to hold off the rush of COVID-19 cases — highlighting the urgent need for vaccine access.
This is a preview of Newswire
Sign up to this newsletter for an inside look at the biggest stories in global development, in your inbox daily.
COVID-19 was already surging in Gaza in April, with 31,180 new recorded cases — but doctors from the World Health Organization tell Jenny Lei Ravelo they fear that number will spike in the wake of the recent 11 days of violent conflict.
• Less than 10% of Gaza’s population is vaccinated — compared to more than 60% of Israelis — and the only laboratory in the Gaza strip capable of testing for COVID-19 was damaged in the recent airstrikes. The doctor who oversaw Gaza’s pandemic response was also killed during the violence.
• Still, a draft decision at this week’s World Health Assembly to ensure equitable access to vaccines in the Palestinian territories saw pushback from Israel and other member states who argued that it amounted to politicization of WHO. The draft decision passed 83-14.
• The United Nations has launched a new appeal to raise $95 million in humanitarian funding for Palestinians affected by the recent violence. Meanwhile COVAX, which supplied Gaza with its vaccine doses, has put out an urgent call for funding and dose-sharing as it faces a 190 million-dose worldwide shortfall next month.
Read: Resolution seeking vaccine access in Palestinian territories splits WHA
Opening the Gates
Less than a month after a statement claiming that no changes to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were planned, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the co-founders are discussing changes to the philanthropic organization due to their divorce. That could include bringing in a board and external directors to the world’s largest charitable foundation, though CEO Mark Suzman said no decisions have been taken and that “these discussions are part of their prudent planning for the future.”
Devex Pro: The Implications of the Gates’ divorce on philanthropy
Beyond Grants
The hype around private philanthropy tends — understandably — to be focused on large grantmakers such as the Gates Foundation. But foundations also provided more than $1B in non-grant financing for development projects in 2019.
Our data team has identified the private foundations providing the most development finance beyond grantmaking — and there’s one that comes out miles ahead.
Devex Pro: Leading private foundations for development finance
Throw the whole system away
Experts at the WHA this year were thinking big — and thinking about whether existing systems can be reformed or should just be scrapped.
• Here’s German health official Björn Kümmel’s take on the way WHO is financed: “They all said the complete system is rotten, so you shouldn't try to reform a small bit here and a small bit there.” With less than 20% of the organization’s budget predictable, planning and adapting to unexpected challenges is much harder, and Kümmel sees “new momentum” to completely change the system.
• Supply chains have become more relevant than ever in the pandemic, and their vulnerabilities have been starkly visible under the scramble for vaccines, personal protective equipment, and other gear. Some experts think nothing short of a systems level rethink is required, Catherine Cheney reports.
WASH Works
WASH Works launches today — a series exploring the intersection of water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts with other development challenges.
Today is Menstrual Hygiene Day: Rebecca Root explores the role of the WASH sector to ensure safe and dignified menstruation, and Simavi’s Hilda Alberda shines a spotlight on the issue of menstrual health programming sustainability.
WHO’s Bruce Gordon, Maggie Montgomery, and Maria Neira weigh in with three urgent recommendations on ensuring WASH services in health facilities; Devex takes a look at the role of robots, drones, and AI in WASH interventions; and for our Pro subscribers, 2021 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate Sandra Postel unpacks how to communicate about today’s global water threats.
Famine Fears
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for humanitarian access to Ethiopia’s Tigray region — and administration officials told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday that if the Ethiopian government and other parties to the conflict don’t act, they may see new sanctions. The New York Times reported on a private note to the U.N. Security Council from Mark Lowcock, U.N. relief chief, warning that sections of the region are now at grave risk of famine.
Read: US officials call for aid access, end to violence in Ethiopia
In other news
Russian-linked hackers appear to have infiltrated an email system used by USAID, in an attack that Microsoft believes to be ongoing. [New York Times]
Germany is allocating over €1 billion to Namibian communities affected by the Herero-Nama genocide at the start of the 20th century, for development projects including rural and water infrastructure and professional training. [The Guardian]
A third of Goma's population has been evacuated as Mount Nyiragongo in the Congo threatens to erupt again. [BBC]
The world needs to triple its annual investment in nature to $350 billion by 2030 to address climate and biodiversity crises, according to a U.N. report. [Reuters]
Sign up to Newswire for an inside look at the biggest stories in global development.
About the authors
Amy Liebermanamylieberman
Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
