This Week in Global Development
Dive into the week's most critical global development news with the This Week in Global Development podcast. In each episode, hosts Adva Saldinger, David Ainsworth, and Rumbi Chakamba break down major headlines and invite members of the Devex newsroom to share their expert analysis.Get up-to-date on news regarding foreign aid, humanitarian crises, the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals, finance, philanthropy, climate, food systems, global health, and stay informed on the latest trends and policy changes shaping global development.Episodes are published every Friday and can also be watched on YouTube.Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com...
Bypassing the traditional aid system: The big bet to end starvation
This week, we discuss our in-depth story on Operation End Starvation, a new initiative aiming to remake the global malnutrition supply chain. With a focus on cost-effectiveness, the project pairs public cash for ready-to-use therapeutic foods, or RUTFs, with philanthropic dollars to fund manufacturers, transporters, and delivery partners worldwide. The initiative represents a wider shift in foreign aid — for example, it bypasses the traditional multilateral system — and critics argue it still isn't cost-effective enough and is siphoning away crucial resources from broader hunger prevention efforts.
We also reflect on our key takeaways from the Africa Food...
The fight over $7.5B in expiring aid and a rejected State Department grant
We recently reported that roughly $7.5 billion in international affairs funding is set to expire by the end of this month. In a letter, more than 100 U.S. lawmakers have urged the State Department to spend the money. We unpack the situation and what it means for development spending, including the $3 billion previously slated for global health programs.
While some politicians are urging the State Department to spend its expiring budget, Samaritan’s Purse is turning down a $300 million federal grant. The organization’s president, Franklin Graham, maintained that the group has “always relied on God, not go...
The water sector’s funding challenge and Asia’s philanthropy push
At World Water Week in Stockholm, financing took center stage ahead of the U.N. Water Conference in Abu Dhabi this December. The annual gathering saw around 2,000 participants discuss water governance, security, and the rising pressures of a global water bankruptcy.
However, attracting private investment remains difficult, with water projects often seen as offering low returns and traditionally relying on public funding. This has prompted a renewed focus on the World Bank’s "Water Forward" initiative, which aims to make the sector more attractive to investors.
Meanwhile, the Asian Venture Philanthropy Ne...
Special edition: Rethinking the housing crisis
What if housing finance could help solve today's biggest challenges? In this special episode, Habitat for Humanity’s Jacqueline Innocent reveals why housing is an upstream catalyst for health, education, and equality — and how inclusive finance can transform global housing systems.
Famine reporting goes dark in 3 crisis zones, and COP31’s critical test
Afghanistan, Somalia, and Yemen, three of the world’s most hunger-prone nations, were removed from the latest reporting by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network — a U.S.-based data and monitoring system which tracks hunger levels across the globe.
The move leaves aid organizations supporting these countries in the dark, even though all three have seen an escalation in humanitarian needs. It’s part and parcel of the Trump administration’s broader posture toward the three nations, which have been virtually cut off from foreign assistance since early 2025.
In Haiti, the Inter...
Inside the State Department’s historic pivot to faith-based organizations
In this episode of This Week in Global Development, Business Editor David Ainsworth sits down with Senior Reporters Michael Igoe and Sara Jerving to discuss the U.S. State Department’s announcement to allocate nearly $2 billion to partnerships with faith-based and community organizations providing global health and humanitarian aid.
It is the largest funding package of its kind in over two decades, and this week’s guests discuss how the move is driven by the U.S. government's belief that faith-based groups are more cost-efficient, with the Trump administration arguing they have the potential to be mo...
Special edition: Are jobs for youth development's silver bullet?
In this week’s special edition episode of the This Week in Global Development podcast, sponsored by the International Youth Foundation and the Caterpillar Foundation, we examine how shifting labor markets, automation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the job landscape, leaving millions of young people out of work even as employers face widespread skill shortages. We’re joined by Christina Sass, president and CEO of IYF, and Asha Varghese, president of the Caterpillar Foundation and head of corporate social responsibility for Caterpillar Inc., to explore why addressing this transition from education to employment is not just a youth issue, but...
Tracking the real-world impacts of US foreign aid cuts
This week, we discuss The Aid Report, a project supported by a media grant from the Gates Foundation to track the real-world impacts of U.S. foreign aid cuts.
Over the past couple of months, the initiative has documented more than 1,000 verified impacts across multiple countries and sectors.
We examine the major trends and surprises that emerged, discuss what lessons policymakers and donors can take away, and explore the questions that still remain unanswered.
To unpack these findings, Rumbi Chakamba sits down with Kelli Rogers and Rashad Ni...
The new era of US and European foreign assistance
This week we look back at the last 18 months of U.S. foreign assistance — a period defined by the dismantling of USAID and the absorption of foreign aid strategy into the State Department. We break down the types of initiatives the Trump administration is prioritizing and where the funding is flowing.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the European Union is currently in the process of negotiating the bloc’s next seven-year budget. The new financial framework could mark a turning point for European aid, formalizing a shift from development-first spending toward an approach that...
Turning World Cup hype into impact, and governing AI for good
With the FIFA World Cup entering its final week, we explore how NGOs operating in participating nations can leverage the tournament’s spotlight to advance their work. While tournament hype is notoriously fleeting, we break down how NGOs can translate a short-term spike in curiosity into sustained long-term impact.
We also discuss our key takeaways from the United Nations’ Global Dialogue for AI Governance and the International Telecommunication Union’s AI for Good Summit, both of which we covered on the ground in Geneva, Switzerland. From the absence of major AI labs to how lower- and mi...
Uncertainty over UNAIDS’ future and avoiding sexual abuse in Ebola response
With uncertainty lingering over its future, we discuss a new UNAIDS interim report outlining potential pathways forward — including further downsizing the secretariat, turning it into a U.N.-hosted hub, or merging it with another health entity. During the conversation, we explore UNAIDS’ alternative suggestions, as well as how this imminent transition fits into the wider restructuring of the global health architecture.
As the Ebola emergency continues across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, responders are facing a lack of community trust. During the 2018–2020 outbreak of the disease, aid workers subjected the locals to widespread sexual abuse...
US aid leadership changes and a controversial UN merger
This week we discuss Jeremy Lewin’s departure from the U.S. State Department’s foreign aid bureau to the White House. His transition to the National Security Council ends a controversial leadership marked by the retreat of the U.S. from its long-held role as the world’s leading bilateral donor. He is expected to be replaced by Andrew Veprek, who has pushed immigration and refugee restrictions at the State Department.
As the United Nations continues to face budgetary constraints, we also analyze the potential merger of two major U.N. development agencies: the U.N. De...
Special edition: Live from Hamburg: Can governments still invest in the future?
This special two-part edition of This Week in Global Development comes to you from the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, where leaders from across development, government, business and civil society gather to debate the big questions facing the global economy — from climate and debt to security, trade, and the future of international cooperation.
In part one, Devex Global Development Reporter Ayenat Mersie speaks with Achim Steiner, chair of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference and former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, to explore a question at the heart of today’s geopolitical moment: Are governments preparing for the...
Special edition: The blueprint for better lung cancer screening
In this special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, produced in partnership with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Devex co-founder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with three architects of Kentucky’s transformation in fighting high lung cancer rates: Dr. Jamie Studts, Dr. Jennifer Redmond Knight, and Dr. Timothy Mullett — the team behind the Kentucky LEADS Collaborative and the QUILS™ system.
After a decade of data, the results are clear: earlier diagnoses are being seen in Kentucky, and current efforts are seeking a similar impact in Mississippi and Nevada. But the real story is how...
Live from London Climate Action Week
As London Climate Action Week gets into full swing, we break down the key talking points from the conference so far. With the city in the midst of a scorching heat wave, the discussion of climate change feels even more urgent than usual.
We explore the transactional landscape that developing nations face, where much-needed capital is increasingly tied to the private sector.
Beyond the balance sheets, one of the current tensions is the collision between green ambitions and economic survival. From the push for rapid electrification to the rollout of Europe’s C...
Fact-checking US aid claims as the State Department continues to hire
In our landmark 150th episode, we discuss a common theme in global development over the past 18 months: the state of U.S. foreign aid. We’re seeing the State Department steadily replenish its workforce, with dozens of open roles across the agency’s global health, international aid, and disaster response bureaus.
On the topic of U.S. foreign assistance, last week Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed the U.S. remains the world's top aid provider "by far" despite the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development. While provisional figures from the Organisation for...
Development banks pivot strategies as global volatility deepens
At this year’s annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Riga, Latvia, discussions centered on a critical structural shift: what development finance should look like in an age of persistent volatility. Ukraine is increasingly shaping the answer, as the bank’s sustained financing during the war emerges as a potential blueprint for future conflicts.
We were also on the ground for the World Bank Fragility Forum, an event uniting global stakeholders to address the challenges of operating in areas experiencing fragility, conflict, and violence. The deteriorating situation in the Democratic Repu...
The latest on the Ebola outbreak response
This week, we unpack the latest on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. With no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo species driving the spread, we dive into the race to develop a vaccine and the critical funding shortfalls standing in the way. While pledges have been made, much of that support has yet to reach those affected on the ground.
We also discuss the congressional hearings on Trump’s fiscal year 2027 foreign affairs budget request, which featured a debate on the Ebola crisis. With this being the first ou...
Can domestic resources and private capital fund development?
In this episode, we look back at the conferences we reported from over the past few weeks, reflecting on how global development narratives are evolving across both the global north and the global south.
With traditional donors stepping back, the African Development Bank is using its annual meetings to urge governments to fix tax inefficiencies and better mobilize domestic resources to drive sustainable economic development.
We found similar themes at the OECD’s Future of Development Co-Operation conference in Paris and the Global Partnerships Conference in London, where unlocking private capital an...
Live from the World Health Assembly
Filmed live from Geneva, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, this episode of This Week in Global Development delves into the critical debates unfolding on the ground in Geneva. That includes the tense atmosphere following the World Health Organization’s rare decision to proclaim a global health emergency over the latest Ebola outbreak, mounting fears regarding the virus tracking into dense urban centers, and how containment efforts are hindered by strict funding restrictions that leave the vast majority of voluntary budgets tied up.
The discussion also looks at the highly anticipated — yet heavily criticized — joint strate...
Special edition: Early detection in Brazil is a game changer for lung cancer care
In a special edition of the This Week in Global Development podcast, Devex cofounder and Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with Brazilian thoracic surgeon Dr. Ricardo Sales do Santos to discuss a revolutionary approach to tackling lung cancer in medically underserved communities in Brazil.
As the most lethal form of cancer globally, lung cancer often goes undetected until its final stages, but Dr. Santos and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (are working to change that narrative through a combination of mobile technology and local capacity building. By bringing advanced CT scanning units directly into high-risk, low-income c...
What can we expect from the 79th World Health Assembly?
This week, we look ahead to the key talking points at the 79th World Health Assembly, where the Devex team will be reporting from next week. As the World Health Organization continues to operate on a deficit, and with the U.S. withdrawal from the agency, we dig into what the future holds for WHO and how this shifting financial landscape will reshape the global health architecture.
With WHO facing funding constraints, we explore how this financial shortfall could impact the agency’s response to the new hantavirus outbreak and its ongoing fight against HIV....
Special edition: Turning sustainable energy into a viable asset class in Africa
In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, joins Devex Managing Editor Anna Gawel to discuss a paradigm shift in African infrastructure investment. Africa50, a pan-African investor, is moving beyond one-off projects to aggregate large-scale, “institution-grade” sustainable energy assets. By shifting the narrative from a development imperative to a viable commercial opportunity, Ebobissé explains how his organization is attracting both global and African capital to bridge the continent’s massive energy gap, which currently leaves around 600 million people without basic electricity.
A centerpiece of the conversation is the critical role of private...
Inside the corruption scandal that tarnished the UN
This week, we take you inside a Devex exclusive: the $60 million fiasco at the United Nations, a complex story with an equally complex set of characters, including Vitaly Vanshelboim, whose rise and fall left a black mark on a key U.N. agency.
Once revered as a financial wizard, Vanshelboim was the man credited with pulling UNOPS back from the brink of bankruptcy. However, as our investigation reveals, behind the diplomatic prestige and profits lay a shadow world of secret side deals, luxury cars, and a $60 million trail of broken promises.
N...
Reform or be defunded: The Trump administration’s demands for the UN
In an internal memo seen by Devex, the Trump administration has threatened to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the United Nations unless it adopts a slate of nine “quick win” reforms. We break down the demands and what they reveal about the United States’ new road map for multilateral engagement.
We also received a recent congressional notification which reveals that USAID has up to $19.2 billion to close out terminated foreign assistance awards. We explore what that funding would be spent on.
To discuss these stories and others, Devex...
The new world order of aid: Inside the Skoll World Forum
This week, we are on the ground in Oxford for the Skoll World Forum, an annual international convening of social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and leaders across government and civil society. While the global development community faced significant headwinds from foreign aid cuts this time last year, the atmosphere at this year’s forum remains optimistic and focused on resilient solutions.
During the conversation, we explore why the forum remains a cornerstone for the global development community, as well as share what we are learning about how philanthropic organizations see their role evolve in the post-aid era....
Special edition: Visionomics - how eyeglasses drive economic growth
In a special edition of the This Week in Development podcast, Devex Executive Vice President Alan Robbins sits down with Ambassador Keisha McGuire, chief global affairs officer at RestoringVision, to explore the profound economic ripple effects of addressing near-vision loss, or presbyopia.
While often dismissed as a mere "annoyance," age-related vision loss is a significant barrier to global health and economic development. RestoringVision has coined the term "visionomics" to describe the vital intersection of vision, health, and the economy. For millions in low- to middle-income countries, the inability to see clearly can lead to a devastating economic impact o...
Global Progress in the AI Era: The future of AI will be decided by small choices with big stakes
In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, a government minister and tech entrepreneur argue that the future of AI will be determined by thousands of small choices.
Taking part in the conversation hosted by Devex Senior Editor for Special Coverage Catherine Cheney were Amini founder and CEO Kate Kallot, as well as Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy.
Inside the World Bank Spring Meetings
Against the backdrop of the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, Devex reporters Adva Saldinger, Michael Igoe, and Ayenat Mersie dissect the stories they’ve been hearing on the ground this week. That includes the latest OECD figures showing a staggering 25% drop in official development assistance, the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East, and a newfound focus on rebuilding public consensus.
The discussion also looks at the World Bank’s bold new “sector-first” strategy, highlighted by the launch of Water Forward — an ambitious initiative aiming to provide one billion people with acces...
Special edition: Every crisis is political - redefining humanitarian response
The international aid system has long operated on the ideal of "neutrality," but our latest episode of This Week in Global Development, sponsored by the Urgent Action Sister Funds, challenges this deeply embedded notion.
Devex Executive Editor and Executive Vice President Kate Warren is joined by the Urgent Action Sister Funds’ Jean Kemitare and Johnny Tohme, as well as Lucy Martin of the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York, for the conversation. Over the course of the episode, our guests discuss the idea that no crisis happens in a vacuum. Instead, cri...
A look at the United States' new foreign aid strategy
This week, we discuss the United States’ new highly targeted approach to humanitarian aid, showcased in a $2 billion agreement with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.
Designed for rapid impact, the funds are strictly earmarked for direct, lifesaving assistance over a short six-month window across 18 crisis-affected countries. We explore the implications of this strategy, which signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign aid toward fast-tracked, tightly scoped interventions focused on immediate survival.
During the conversation, we also take a look at the details of the...
Special edition: Breast cancer as a global development challenge
In this special episode of This Week in Global Development, we explore breast cancer not just as a health challenge, but as a critical development challenge. In low- and middle-income countries, or LMICs, a breast cancer diagnosis can have a devastating ripple effect that extends far beyond the clinic, impacting households, communities, and entire systems.
Hosted in partnership with The Pfizer Foundation, Devex Executive Vice President and Executive Editor Kate Warren speaks with Darren Back, Dr. Loice Sitienei, and Dr. Patrick Loehrer to explore why integrated breast cancer care strengthens both health systems and economic resilience, ultimately improving o...
Unpacking the UK's new aid strategy and the World Bank's approach to water
We dig into the key findings of a report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on philanthropic funding. As traditional donors continue to slash their aid budgets, we examine where philanthropy can help plug the global development funding gap and provide resources for areas the private sector is not focusing on.
We also discuss the United Kingdom’s new aid strategy. As the country looks to cut official development assistance spending to 0.3% of its gross national income, the government plans to shift from a donor role to an investor role, while focusing it...
Global Progress in the AI Era: Why investing in evidence is key to translating AI hype into impact
As governments and funders invest in AI for development, a critical question remains: what actually delivers impact? In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, experts explain that funding evidence — not just innovation — will determine whether AI improves lives or reinforces existing gaps.
PEPFAR, Global Fund, and the future of HIV care
In this week’s edition of This Week in Global Development, we unpack the precarious state of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. Despite ongoing congressional support, a significant disconnect between allocated funds and State Department disbursements has left major implementing agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention operating on less than half their usual budget. As bridge funding begins to dry up and transition plans for bilateral health deals stall, the real-world consequences are starting to emerge — from shuttered drop-in centers in Nairobi to drastic service cuts in Uganda — and ar...
Global Progress in the AI Era: How GiveDirectly is using AI to deliver cash faster
In this episode of Global Progress in the AI Era, Nick Allardice explains how GiveDirectly is using AI to deliver faster, more direct aid — from anticipatory cash transfers in Bangladesh to near real-time responses in crisis zones. The conversation explores what it takes to move from theory to practice, and how AI is forcing new trade-offs around speed, targeting, and dignity in humanitarian response.
Special edition: What will it take to reverse HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia?
While HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths are declining globally, the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, or EECA, tells a different story. It is now home to one of the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemics, with over 2.1 million people living with the virus. Alarmingly, about 20% are unaware of their status, and nearly half remain without treatment. Since 2010, EECA has become the only region globally where AIDS-related deaths have continued to rise, fueled by systemic challenges like stigma, restrictive laws, and the devastating impact of the war in Ukraine.
In this special episode of the This Week in Global De...
Latin America and Africa paths diverge amid global shocks
A tale of two continents is unfolding in the global development landscape as Latin America embraces a surge of private investment while Africa grapples with severe economic aftershocks from geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
At the recent Inter-American Development Bank meetings, an atmosphere of intense optimism prevailed, fueled by the region's 63% renewable energy matrix and the attendance of over 1,600 private sector leaders. High-impact projects such as the 2,300-mile Bi-Oceanic Corridor, designed to slash trade routes to Asia by 17 days, and the Lac Minerals initiative for lithium processing, signal a robust new era of regional integration and industrial g...
Global Progress in the AI Era: What happens when AI labs and social enterprises build together?
As AI models scale globally, social enterprises are increasingly working with frontier AI labs to test, adapt, and improve the technology in local contexts. This episode explores how those partnerships could determine whether AI reinforces existing inequalities — or helps close them.
Inside CSW: What is at stake for gender equality?
This week, we are reporting from the Commission on the Status of Women — the world’s largest gathering on gender equality, which is taking place at the United Nations headquarters in New York. We discuss the key talking points at the conference, including what’s at stake amid a global regression in women’s rights, as well as the conversations taking place on the sidelines of the main summit.
Staying on the topic of gender equality and the U.N., we also explore the potential merger of two agencies — UN Women and UNFPA — and explore the latest updat...
