What's New

The United States has cut $377 million worth of funding to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, it was confirmed on Thursday, leading to potentially “devasting impacts”, on women and girls.

“At 7pm on 26 February, UNFPA was informed that nearly all of our grants (48 as of now) with USAID and the US State Department have been terminated,” the UN agency said in a statement.

The UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director, H.E. Ambassador of Germany to Lebanon, the Governor of Beirut, KfW representatives, Head of Beirut Municipality and Beirut municipal council members joined a visit to Adlieh tunnel in Beirut. 

Karla Quintana, head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, concluded on Sunday her first visit to Syria. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to continue pushing for a full ceasefire and the release of all hostages in Gaza, and “to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing” in the enclave, in a speech in New York on Wednesday. 

UN agencies on Tuesday offered a dire assessment of the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

The development follows the pause announced to billions of dollars of funding on 24 January by the US administration affecting “nearly all US foreign aid programmes, pending a 90-day review”, said Pio Smith from the UN’s sexual reproductive health agency, UNFPA, briefing journalists in Geneva.

The UN Secretary-General on Monday called on the US Government to consider “additional exemptions” to a directive which pauses nearly all foreign aid for 90 days.

President Trump’s executive order a week ago called for all foreign aid to be re-evaluated to ensure that it complies which his new foreign policy priorities.

Statement by Akhil Iyer, UNICEF Representative in Lebanon

 “On the International Day of Education, we underscore the importance of education as an essential and fundamental right for every child and commit to continue supporting the Government of Lebanon in providing access to quality and inclusive education for all children in Lebanon.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, visited Lebanon today and reaffirmed UNHCR’s commitment to support Lebanon and help Syrian refugees who are voluntarily returning to their country.

Nealy a third of Lebanon’s population is facing acute food insecurity following the escalation of conflict in late 2024 and the impact of hostilities on agriculture and the economy mean recovery is likely to be slow, according to a new food security assessment.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday expressed optimism for Lebanon's future as he wrapped up a two-day solidarity visit with a call on the new government, the Lebanese people, and international community to “make the most of this atmosphere of opportunity”.