- Mark Cutts, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, warns the killing of an aid worker last week in Syria brings into focus the daily risks faced by humanitarians working in conflict zones. Figures from 2018 on aid worker security show that Syria is the most dangerous country to work in, ahead of South Sudan and Afghanistan.
- Phillip Inman comments on Jim Yong Kim’s shock decision to step down as World Bank president, and analyses the criticisms the Bank has faced over the past few years.
- Here are the most popular posts of the Development Impact Blog from last year. Similarly, here are the top eight water blogs of 2018 of the World Bank.
- In Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro continues to lock up those accused of criticising his regime. Many NGOs, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, support the victims of the regime.
- In Yemen, Houthi rebels are stealing the food sent by the international community to diminish the famine the country faces. However, Peter Beaumont explains why officials believe the rebels’ food aid theft is only the tip of the iceberg.
- Gisela Robles Aguilar and Andy Sumner take a closer look at the data on global poverty, with insights that might surprise you.
- In India, taking the mic in public space allows people to share their struggles, while making a joke out of it. In this piece, Devang Pathak talks about the journey that led to the rise of the Indian open mics.
- Finally, World Bank Chief economist Pinelopi Goldberg, shares her new year’s resolutions.