Monthly Roundup August 2025
“Ongoing armed conflicts in Gaza, Sudan and other areas are a sombre reminder of the importance of humanitarian assistance—and the risks these workers take every day. In 2024, 383 humanitarian workers in 27 countries were killed—a 23% increase from the previous record-high death toll in 2023 and triple that of 2022. In addition, 125 humanitarian workers were kidnapped and more than 300 were wounded last year. Sadly, 2025 is on track to be worse."
“For the second consecutive year, the theme of ‘Act for Humanity’ speaks to how we must do more to address increasing violations of international humanitarian law and to protect humanitarian workers and the civilians they are trying to help."
“More than 300 million people around the world are in need of humanitarian assistance this year. In the face of such a staggering number, humanitarian workers are more crucial than ever to provide not only life-saving assistance, but to offer dignity and hope during times of despair."
Read the full statement on World Humanitarian Day HERE
World Elephant Day: Stories of conservation progress
"In Uganda, wildlife authorities have put up nearly 23 kilometers (14 miles) of electric fencing near Queen Elizabeth National Park. Powered by solar panels, it delivers a zap meant to keep elephants at bay. There’s also a barrier of “porcupine” wire that sticks out to further discourage clever elephants who figured out their tusks don’t conduct electricity and would use them to snap the fence wire and help themselves to a buffet on the other side. A survey found the fence has been effective: nearly 90% of local respondents said crop-raiding had ended.
Elephants in Nepal’s eastern border with India also quickly learned that using their tusks could destroy electric fences laid by the government, so villagers adapted. They switched their crops, from elephant favorites like maize, to ones the pachyderms don’t like, including tea, bay leaves and lemons. Local conservationists also helped more residents gain access to government compensation for crop damage, allowing farmers to stay inside when elephants turned up, instead of putting themselves and the massive mammals in harm’s way.
In southern India, authorities in a tea-plantation town surrounded by forests and wildlife, including elephants, have invested in a virtual fence: a series of posts with solar-powered sensors. When the sensors detect moving animals in their vicinity, they trigger flashing lights and a sharp alarm meant to scare off elephants and alert local people of potential danger."
Supporting wildlife-friendly infrastructure to help Asian elephants
"Launched In August 2023, WWF’s "Elly Allies" initiative has been helping to build momentum across elephant range countries in Southeast Asia and China to prioritize sustainable and wildlife-friendly infrastructure, among other elephant conservation priorities."
"WWF is urging more governments, planners, funders and communities to become "Elly Allies" and consider sustainable infrastructure so we can better protect Asian elephants and ensure they can move safely through these shared landscapes."
Puppets, Stories, and Healing: Empowering Palestinian Children through Creative Expression
"Over the past few months, groups of children have gathered in circles, telling stories with small handmade puppets stitched with memory, culture, and quiet resilience. These puppets allow children to tell stories, stories that are difficult to speak aloud. The children who gather around them live under the ongoing reality of occupation. Some have witnessed settler attacks, military presence near their schools, or fear within their families. Others carry quieter burdens, memories they can’t quite explain, and fears they don’t yet have words for."
