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World: Caritas Internationalis at UNGA: Aid cuts put millions at risk as humanitarian needs reach record levels

Country: World Source: Caritas Rome – New York, 22 September 2026 As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Caritas Internationalis is calling for urgent action to close the humanitarian funding gap, reverse cuts to overseas development assistance and put local communities at the centre of the global response to crisis. Around 350 million people worldwide are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance this year . The UN’s 87 Million Lives appeal focuses on those facing the most severe and life-threatening needs, but millions more remain at risk of falling deeper into crisis. “The 87 million people covered by the 87 Million Lives appeal are only the tip of the iceberg of some 300 million people who are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance this year”, stated Alistair Dutton, Secretary General, Caritas Internationalis “The international community must ensure the appeal is fully funded immediately and go further to honour its responsibilities to people in need. Cuts to overseas development assistance must be reversed – stressed Dutton – and governments must restore their commitment to spending 0.7% of GNI on development. He also reminded that “Peacebuilding, development and humanitarian assistance are among the most effective tools we have to prevent conflict, reduce forced displacement and terrorism, and build peace. Very few people want to leave their homes. Our priority should be to make it possible for people to stay safely in the communities and lands they call home and cherish so dearly.” Debt relief: putting people before debt At a debate hosted by Devex Impact House, on 21 September, Alfonso Apicella, Senior Advocacy Campaigns Manager at Caritas Internationalis, joined an important discussion on debt, stressing how global financial systems affect people’s access to care and basic services. The discussion is part of Caritas Internationalis’ wider engagement at UNGA this week , with Caritas participating in several side events, including on debt relief, humanitarian financing, localisation, peacebuilding, International Humanitarian Law and the protection of humanitarian personnel. Through these discussions, Caritas is bringing the experience of its Confederation and its members to the global policy debate. Caritas is calling on Member States to: fully fund the UN’s 87 Million Lives appeal ; reverse cuts to overseas development assistance and restore the commitment to 0.7% of GNI ; provide direct, flexible and multi-year financing to local and national actors , with their meaningful participation in humanitarian planning and decision-making; strengthen political action to uphold International Humanitarian Law , protect humanitarian personnel and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access. Local communities must be at the heart of the response National and local responders are embedded in the communities they serve. They understand local realities, have established relationships of trust and remain long after international attention has moved elsewhere. Yet humanitarian financing and decision-making still too often fail to reflect their central role. For Caritas, responding to humanitarian needs also means investing in peacebuilding and development . Predictable and sustained support can help communities withstand crises, reduce forced displacement and create conditions in which people can remain safely in their homes. The Caritas representatives in New York were pleased to join Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, for Mass, together with colleagues and partners gathered for the UN General Assembly. For media inquiries: media@caritas.va

ReliefWebReliefWeb•Caritas22 Sept
  • neutral toward UNGA · 97%

Trump set to address UNGA with Middle East and Ukraine on agenda – US politics live

President also due to hold meetings with 11 world leaders Sign up for US Breaking News emails The major US television news outlets agreed to suspend their video coverage of Donald Trump after the administration banned journalists from several outlets from entering the White House grounds. The collective decision came after the barred outlets – CNN, MS Now and Politico – sued the administration on Monday, saying the president’s actions were a violation of their first amendment rights. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Tom Ambrose22 Sept
  • neutral toward UNGA · 99%

World: Voices from the Frontlines: Messages for the Next UN Secretary General [EN/AR]

Country: World Source: Oxfam Please refer to the attached files. Overview This report, produced as part of Oxfam’s engagement for the UN General Assembly, brings together the personal testimonies of civil society leaders living and working on the frontlines of conflict. Their voices come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Colombia, Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Through these testimonies, Oxfam’s partners call on the next UN Secretary-General to transform global peace and security systems to better protect civilians. The paper builds on Oxfam’s ongoing advocacy to reform the Peace and Security System, which began with the 2024 UNGA report Vetoing Humanity and continued through the 2025 report A (More) Feminist Approach to Principled Humanitarian Aid. Together, these reports envision a humanitarian system grounded in meaningful power sharing and the leadership of affected communities, creating a genuine and trusted local-to-global movement.

ReliefWebReliefWeb•Oxfam21 Sept

World leaders address climate crisis before UN meet amid record-breaking El-Niño

Prime ministers of Australia and Iceland discuss effects on their countries even as some shy away in face of war and inflation World political leaders are descending on New York for the UN general assembly and some of them are putting the climate crisis on the agenda as they spoke on Monday at the start of the city’s annual Climate Week. This year’s Climate Week – which runs alongside UNGA – comes after months of extreme heat in large parts of the world including Europe and the US, wildfires in Africa, flash flooding in Asia and a record-breaking El Niño . Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Sara Sneath in New York and Oliver Milman21 Sept