Policy Updates

On February 6, 2026, the European Union allocated EUR123.3 million (US$147 million) in humanitarian aid for Latin America and the Caribbean to deliver life-saving assistance to vulnerable populations and bolster disaster preparedness and response in a region where 15.6 million people required humanitarian assistance in 2025.

The EU directed:

• EUR52 million (US$62 million) to provide relief to Venezuelan people in need throughout the region and host communities;
• EUR23 million (US$27 million) to address the humanitarian impact of escalating armed violence in Haiti;
• EUR17 million (US$20 million) to support people affected by armed conflict and displacement in border areas in Colombia;
• EUR16.3 million (US$19 million) for disaster preparedness and humanitarian crisis response across South America;
• EUR11 million (US$13 million) for vulnerable people affected by violence, forced displacement, and food insecurity in Central America and Mexico; and
• EUR4 million (US$5 million) for the Caribbean with focus on Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and countries hosting refugees and asylum seekers.

The EU emphasized the critical importance of the aid as severe budget cuts reduced the UN 2026 target by half.

On January 30, 2026, the European Commission announced EUR63 million (US$75 million) in humanitarian aid to support populations affected by the armed conflict in Myanmar and nearly 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in neighboring countries, particularly Bangladesh, as part of the initial 2026 allocation for South and Southeast Asia.

The European Commission directed EUR38.6 million (US$46 million) to Myanmar for food assistance and emergency nutrition, shelter for forcibly displaced people, access to clean water and sanitation, healthcare in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, mine risk education and assistance for landmine victims, and education in emergencies. The funding addresses high levels of food insecurity as the conflict triggered by the military coup reaches its fifth year.

For Bangladesh to support Rohingya refugees living mostly in Cox's Bazar and host communities, the European Commission earmarked EUR23.4 million (US$28 million) to support food assistance and nutrition, maintenance of camp shelters and facilities, and essential services including healthcare, emergency education, and access to water and sanitation. An additional EUR1 million (US$1 million) will provide life-saving aid to refugees and host communities in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The EU channeled all humanitarian funding through partner organizations including international NGOs and UN agencies.

On January 29, 2026, Australia announced AUD50 million (US$36 million) in humanitarian support to Afghanistan, bringing total assistance since the fall of Kabul in 2021 to AUD310 million (US$220 million), with delivery through the World Food Programme and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development Anne Aly stated nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan required urgent humanitarian support amid one of the world's worst protracted humanitarian crises. The ministers emphasized the Taliban's oppression of women and girls, including limiting access to employment, medical services, education, and public life.

Australia has focused the assistance on supporting women and girls, prioritizing food security, health services, and protecting dignity, safety, and rights.

On January 28, 2026, the US Department of Agriculture signed a US$452 million agreement with the World Food Programme to deliver nearly 211,000 tons of agricultural goods to seven countries through the Food for Peace program, which USDA officially took over from USAID.

The agreement, signed by Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg and WFP office director in Washington, D.C. Matthew Nims, directed US-grown commodities to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, and Rwanda. USDA mandated the program follow an "America First" approach requiring strict accountability measures, reduced dependency on foreign assistance, and procurement of commodities of 100% US origin.

The commodities, scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, included wheat, corn-soy blend plus, beans, lentils, rice, sorghum, and vegetable oil. USDA also mentioned procuring ready-to-use supplementary foods or ready-to-use therapeutic foods, though the agency did not clarify which product. US permanent representative to the UN agencies in Rome Lynda Blanchard stated the agreement marked an important step as the US recalibrated its engagement with the United Nations. USDA planned to post additional Food for Peace awards as funds became available.

The European Commission announced EUR171 million (US$203 million) in support for infrastructure development and private sector growth across the Western Balkans on January 27, 2026, including projects in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

The support package includes contributions from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, the Western Balkans Investment Framework bilateral donors, and the Reform and Growth Facility.

The package will allocate nearly EUR95 million (US$113 million) for infrastructure investments and technical assistance. The funding is expected to mobilize EUR263 million (US$313 million) in total investments across seven projects in digital, clean energy, human capital, transport, and environment sectors. Infrastructure projects include broadband infrastructure rollout in Albania, improvement of the electricity transmission system in North Macedonia, construction and energy-efficient renovation of education facilities in North Macedonia and Montenegro, electrification of the Durres-Tirana Railway line in Albania, and drinking water and wastewater treatment improvements in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, technical assistance projects in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina are aimed at supporting future investments in energy, water, innovation, and research.

For the private sector, the package includes EUR76 million (US$91 million) for initiatives including the Western Balkans Forward Program, SME Go Green Program, the Western Balkans Opportunities by Non-traditional Debt pilot program, and strengthening public-private partnership capacities and governance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On January 23, 2026, Australia announced an additional AUD10 million (US$7 million) to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund to help restore electricity supply and maintain critical infrastructure.

The additional funding brought Australia's total contribution to the fund to AUD40 million (US$28 million). The fund has enabled Ukraine's energy sector to undertake urgent repairs and replace damaged equipment.

International Development Minister Anne Aly noted that the additional support would provide power for Ukrainian families during the harshest winter since the invasion began. Australia has provided more than AUD1.7 billion (US$1.2 billion) in military, humanitarian, economic, and energy assistance to Ukraine since February 2022.

The AECID presented the FEDES on January 23, 2026, a new instrument of Spanish financial cooperation aimed at mobilizing financing for sustainable development with Secretary of State for International Cooperation Eva Granados and AECID Director Antón Leis García emphasizing public-private partnerships and strategic alliances.

The AECID held a strategic dialogue session to raise the profile of the FEDES as a tool for mobilizing financing, strengthening coordination between public and private actors in sustainable financing, and generating collaboration opportunities between administrations, cooperation actors, private investors, civil society, and multilateral organizations. The event highlighted the FEDES' role in expanding geographical and sectoral reach to respond to global challenges including ecological transition, social inclusion, gender equality, and sustainable economic development.

Granados emphasized that the fund responds to a complex international context marked by growing financing needs and global challenges, representing Spain's commitment to modernizing its cooperation instruments. Leis García identified priorities for deploying the fund and building alliances with ICO, COFIDES, partner countries, multilateral organizations, the private sector, and civil society. The FEDES built on the FONPRODE's experience in mobilizing private capital for impact investment projects, making Spanish cooperation a benchmark within the EU, and established partnerships with multilateral development banks including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the IFAD.

On January 21, 2026,the European Commission announced its initial EUR1.9 billion (US$2.3 billion) humanitarian aid budget for 2026.

The initial EUR1.9 billion (US$2.3 billion) allocation includes:

• EUR557 million (US$663 million) to West and Central Africa, the Sahel, the Lake Chad basin, North-West Nigeria, Central Africa, Southern Africa, the Great Lakes region, and the Greater Horn of Africa;
• EUR448 million (US$533 million) to the Middle East, particularly Gaza, as well as Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon;
• EUR145 million (US$173 million) to humanitarian needs in Ukraine and an additional EUR8 million (US$10 million) for humanitarian projects in Moldova;
• EUR126 million (US$150 million) to address humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran;
• EUR95 million (US$113 million) to Central and South America and the Caribbean;
• EUR73 million (US$87 million) to support Southeast Asia and the Pacific, particularly for the Myanmar crisis and its impact in Bangladesh;
• EUR15 million (US$17 million) to North Africa.

Additionally, more than EUR415 million (US$494 million) is reserved for responding to sudden-onset emergencies worldwide and maintaining a strategic supply chain.

On January 20, 2026 during a visit to Ukraine, Dutch State Secretary Aukje De Vries announced EUR23 million (US$27 million) in additional funding to support Ukraininan energy infrastructure.

The funding will support purchasing gas abroad, urgent repairs to power plants, and the supply of energy equipment from Dutch companies, including generators and cables. The allocation brought the total Dutch contribution to energy in Ukraine for 2026 to EUR133 million (US$156 million).

Following large-scale attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared a state of emergency for the sector and residents of Kiev were urged to evacuate the city.

On January 16, 2026, German Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan launched the School Meals Accelerator alongside WFP, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The partnership aims to provide 100 million children worldwide with access to healthy school meals and education by 2030.

The partnership will support school meal programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Moreover, it will provide national governments with knowledge, advice, and support to independently develop and finance school nutrition programs. The initiative will prioritize home-grown school meal programs, where schools source food directly from local producers to create jobs and income in local communities.

The partnership is embedded in a global support network of more than 100 countries and 150 partner organizations. The launch formed part of Germany's development policy commitment to global food security through the overarching BMZ initiative "Secure Nutrition – Strong for Life," which focuses on children's nutrition.