Natural disasters in Pakistan and Afghanistan, ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Myanmar and Sudan and a "perfect storm" of factors have led to an increase in acute hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children, the World Food Program warns. Substantial aid cuts from the US and several European countries have cost the WFP approximately 40% of its resources, forcing it to reduce assistance in critical areas, WFP deputy executive director Carl Skau says, adding that the cuts threaten to worsen malnutrition, spark instability, and reduce the agency's capacity to preposition food before emergencies.

Many of the 260,000 people remaining in El Fasher, Sudan -- a frontline of the war between military and paramilitary forces for the last 18 months -- have resorted to eating animal feed to stave off starvation. Humanitarian groups are offering assistance in a small town around 40 miles away, but those attempting to flee the city are often robbed, sexually assaulted or executed.

As gangs now encourage Haitian residents to come back to previously abandoned neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince, police continue to warn that it is too dangerous to return. Many families face a difficult choice between the risks of returning home and the harsh realities of shelter life. Ongoing violence, threats from armed groups and a sharp increase in crimes against children compound the dangers, leaving many unsure whether to trust gang assurances or heed police warnings.

The collapse of remittance channels due to legal crackdowns in South Korea poses severe humanitarian consequences for North Korean families, many of whom depend on these funds for survival. Defectors express deep anxiety and guilt over being unable to help relatives, who risk poverty or forced military service without outside support. Recognizing the hardship, some South Korean lawmakers are advocating for legalizing small-scale remittances on humanitarian grounds, but the future of these lifelines remains uncertain.

Maternal and infant deaths have surged following the closure of hundreds of clinics amid a US decision to cut aid to Afghanistan, where bereaved families recount losing wives and newborns during childbirth due to the lack of accessible healthcare and trained staff, a BBC investigation reveals. By August 2025, maternal deaths at a major hospital in Faizabad had already matched the total for the previous year. The US has justified the cuts, citing concerns that millions of dollars were enriching the Taliban -- a claim the group denies, arguing that US funding flowed through the UN and its humanitarian partners.

Charitable giving in the US increased by 3.3% in 2024, breaking a three-year streak of declines, this year's Giving USA Report indicates. The overall increase was primarily driven by gains in the stock market, which buoyed major gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations, but the positive topline number masks ongoing challenges, as giving from small and midsize donors, as well as from new and retained donors, continued to fall. The data underscores a fundraising landscape increasingly reliant on substantial gifts from a shrinking pool of super-sized donors.

Nonprofit fundraisers are increasingly turning to legacy challenges as a way to secure planned gifts without focusing on mortality. The campaigns offer matching funds that go immediately to the nonprofit, with matches being fixed amounts or a percentage of the bequest's current value.

The growing prevalence of foreign agent laws is creating challenges for NGOs as countries like India, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Venezuela pass legislation that restricts foreign funding and increases administrative burdens. The laws, often justified as measures against foreign interference, are being used to suppress civil society -- Oxfam, Save the Children and Greenpeace are among the humanitarian and rights organizations facing suspended registrations and denied applications.

NGOs will face significant restrictions during this year's UN General Assembly -- as they have in previous years -- requiring a special event ticket in addition to a valid UN pass. The policy, justified by the UN for security reasons, has drawn criticism from civil society leaders who argue that it undermines the role of NGOs in supporting the UN's mission.