Dear colleagues,
2017 saw several advances and challenges in humanitarian aid and development. Key areas of the Agenda for Sustainable Development that lacked advancement and ascertain focus for the year ahead are identified in the No Time To Retreat report by the UN OCHA. Similarly, the World Malaria Report 2017 recognised the stalled development progress on the global fight against malaria.
The empowerment of vulnerable groups and promotion of gender equality is vital to improving global health and access to education by, both, the UN Sustainable Development Goals Report and the Global Fund Strategy 2017-2022 report, Investing to End Epidemics. The Global Fund report further emphasised the importance of building resilient and sustainable systems for health and maximising the impact of investments for HIV, TB and malaria as other core objectives necessary to achieve sustainable development across the world.
With humanitarian and development community calling for additional funding to reach international humanitarian goals, the focus for 2018 is apparent. Over 135 million people across the world will be in need of humanitarian assistance next year as a result of crises and natural disaster emergencies. Such analysis and predictions place emphasis on the importance of identifying long-term cost-effective solutions to humanitarian aid in the coming year.
AIDF also experienced some changes this year, with the recent launch of our new website. Easier to navigate, with multiple new topics categories and a brand new look and design, the website works across various platforms, including mobiles and desktops. Head to aidforum.org to check it out!
Finally, we would also like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful holiday season and a new year of peace and prosperity. We look forward to interacting with you in 2018 and collectively working towards a better global future.
Kind Regards,
AIDF Team