(The New Humanitarian) The International Rescue Committee, one of the oldest humanitarian aid organizations in the United States, is cutting thousands of staff, in another sign of the turmoil rippling across the humanitarian sector as the US aid funding freeze continues. “We have had to take immediate and significant cost-cutting measures, including laying off and furloughing […] Continue reading ->
Civil society groups have urged World Health Organization (WHO) member states to “continue to advance a pandemic agreement that can lay the essential groundwork for equitable, collective preparedness and response” ahead of the 13th meeting of the negotiating forum on Monday  (17 February).  Only 10 negotiating days are left until the World Health Assembly in […] Continue reading ->
The disengagement of both USAID and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) from the WHO-led global polio eradication initiative, threatens efforts in the world’s poorest countries with about  $233 million more in a year in budget shortfalls, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Hanan Balkhy, said on Friday.  This, in a year […] Continue reading ->
The WHO Executive Board voted to advance a resolution on aid to war-torn Gaza to May’s World Health Assembly, the first to be greenlighted while several dozen other initiatives remain on hold due to budget constraints. Meanwhile, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed to Israel to allow thousands of desperately sick and injured […] Continue reading ->
WASHINGTON – The 27-member Senate Finance Committee voted to send Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Health and Human Services (HHS) nomination to the full Senate floor.  The 14-13 approval came along party lines, despite RFK Jr’s often heated exchanges with Republican and Democratic Senators during two confirmation hearings last week. Kennedy weathered accusations of profiting from […] Continue reading ->