DIHAD 2026 opens in Dubai with focus on Future of Humanitarian Action. The 22nd Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD 2026) has opened at Dubai World Trade Centre, bringing together humanitarian leaders, governments, international organisations and experts to discuss the future of global humanitarian action. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the three-day event was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Incorporated. Under the theme "Humanitarianism in Transition: Shaping the Future of Humanitarian Action," DIHAD 2026 focuses on developing more proactive, flexible and sustainable responses to increasingly complex global crises. During the opening, Sheikh Hasher witnessed the launch of the Awqaf Dubai and DIHAD Endowment Fund for Humanitarian Action. The fund aims to use endowments to finance humanitarian and development projects with sustainable, long-term impact. Refugee empowerment also featured prominently, with discussions addressing challenges surrounding shelter, food, healthcare, education, employment and economic security. DIHAD 2026 honoured Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation at the World Food Programme, with the DIHAD International Personality Award for Humanitarian Relief 2026 for her contributions to humanitarian action and sustainable solutions. This year's event features more than 1,000 participating entities and partners, over 21,000 participants and visitors from 165 countries, more than 320 speakers and over 260 sessions and workshops. More than 180 buyers representing UN agencies, foundations and charities are also participating. The UAE Aid Agency is the Official Partner, while Denmark is participating as Guest of Honour. Day One focused on the forces transforming humanitarian work, including evolving crises, community needs, technology, responsible artificial intelligence and international partnerships. High-level roundtables also explored water resource management and sustainable development. DIHAD 2026 is being held alongside the 17th International Emergency and Catastrophe Management Conference and Exhibition, focusing on disaster preparedness, emergency response and related technologies. News Source: Dubai Media Office

EIB Global provides up to €4 million to support microinsurance for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. (IN BRIEF) EIB Global, the development arm of the European Investment Bank, is providing a grant of up to €4 million to the World Food Programme to support tailored climate-risk microinsurance products for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia, marking the first climate-risk insurance project backed by the EIB. Announced at UNCCD COP 17 in Mongolia, the grant will complement EIB Global's €110 million credit line for the third phase of Ethiopia's Rural Financial Intermediation Programme (RUFIP III), channelled through the Development Bank of Ethiopia to eligible rural finance institutions. The initiative will support capacity building, technical assistance, awareness raising and the creation of a Premium Guarantee Fund to pre-finance insurance premiums and reduce liquidity constraints, helping rural finance institutions and farmers manage climate-related shocks. Around 210,000 smallholder farmers are expected to be covered by adapted microinsurance products protecting against crop and livestock losses caused by adverse weather conditions or natural disasters, while the project also aims to support rural incomes, food security, agricultural productivity, access to finance and more climate-resilient financial systems. The initiative is expected to help around 210,000 smallholder farmers access adapted insurance products designed to protect against crop and livestock losses caused by adverse weather conditions and natural disasters. The project marks the first climate-risk insurance initiative backed by the EIB. It was announced during the ongoing United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification COP 17 in Mongolia. The grant will complement EIB Global's €110 million credit line for the third phase of Ethiopia's Rural Financial Intermediation Programme, known as RUFIP III. The credit line is channelled through the Development Bank of Ethiopia and then on-lent to eligible rural finance institutions. The grant is financed under the African, Caribbean and Pacific Trust Fund's Member States Compartment. The initiative is designed to reduce risk in the agricultural portfolios of rural finance institutions participating in RUFIP III. It will also help final beneficiaries using RUFIP III financing better manage climate-related shocks. Activities supported by the grant will include capacity building for the Development Bank of Ethiopia, rural finance institutions and smallholder farmers. The project will also establish a Premium Guarantee Fund to pre-finance insurance premiums. The fund is intended to address liquidity constraints among borrowers and provide a guarantee mechanism for rural finance institutions that contract insurance on behalf of final beneficiaries if premium payment defaults occur. Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, said climate change remains one of the greatest risks to agricultural livelihoods in Ethiopia. She said the partnership with the World Food Programme will help rural finance institutions and smallholder farmers better manage climate shocks, protect incomes and improve access to finance. Vigliotti added that by combining insurance, credit and capacity building, the initiative will strengthen resilience, support food security and create more sustainable economic opportunities for rural communities. The World Food Programme will use its experience in rural finance and climate-resilience programming in Ethiopia to develop and pilot the index-based microinsurance scheme. The work will be carried out in partnership with private insurance companies. The products will be rolled out to selected rural finance institutions under RUFIP III through technical assistance, capacity building and awareness raising. To support the long-term sustainability of the scheme, WFP will initially administer the Premium Guarantee Fund. Management of the fund will later be transferred to the Development Bank of Ethiopia. Zlatan Milišić, WFP Representative and Country Director in Ethiopia, said climate shocks can quickly destroy harvests, incomes and hard-earned progress for millions of smallholder farmers in the country. He said access to finance is essential for increasing agricultural productivity, but climate risks often discourage both farmers and lenders from making productive investments. Milišić said the partnership with EIB Global combines climate-risk insurance, rural finance and capacity strengthening to help farmers invest with greater confidence, protect their livelihoods when shocks occur and recover more quickly. He described the initiative as an important step toward building more inclusive and climate-resilient financial systems in Ethiopia. As a direct result of the operation, around 210,000 smallholder farmers in Ethiopia are expected to be covered by microinsurance products adapted to their needs. The products will protect against losses of crops or livestock linked to adverse weather events or natural disasters. The grant supports development-finance priorities by promoting more stable incomes and sustainable growth for smallholder farmers facing climate change. It also supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises by improving access to microinsurance and helping reduce risks linked to economic activity. About the EIB: The European Investment Bank (ElB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe's markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations. EIB Global is the EIB Group's specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international win-win partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Team Europe and the Global Gateway strategy. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices across the world. Photos of the EIB Group's spokespeople and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here. About Global Gateway: Global Gateway is the EU's positive offer to reduce the worldwide investment disparity and boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems. The Global Gateway strategy embodies a Team Europe approach that brings together the European Union, EU Member States, and European development finance institutions. This approach aims to mobilise up to €400 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027, creating essential links rather than dependencies, and closing the global investment gap. About World Food Programme: The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Media Contact: Press Office +352 43791 MORE ON EIB, EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK, ETC.: EDITOR'S PICK:

Egypt's supply ministry and World Food Programme launch joint plan to develop market efficiency index. Last updated: August 24, 2026 7:19 pm The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade and the World Food Programme (WFP) have agreed to a joint action plan running until July 2027 to develop a comprehensive market efficiency index and shift state market monitoring from basic observation to proactive data analysis. Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Sherif Farouk announced that the ministry is upgrading its tools to rely on more accurate and integrated data, enabling it to monitor price movements, commodity availability, and regional disparities. This approach will allow the government to address imbalances swiftly and intervene more efficiently when necessary. The agreement was discussed during talks between Farouk and WFP Country Director in Egypt Rawad Halabi to transform areas of cooperation into executive programmes that enhance food security and nutrition. The planned market efficiency index will expand the ministry's focus beyond mere price tracking to measure commodity availability, ease of access for citizens, regional price variations, and quality levels. This broader scope is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the market, enhancing the ministry's ability to detect early signs of disruptions and make timely decisions. Furthermore, the two sides discussed developing an integrated system for citizen complaints, allowing for tracking from receipt to resolution while analysing the data to identify recurring issues and improve services for subsidy beneficiaries. In the realm of food security, the action plan includes specialised training programmes on relevant data and indicators in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics. The discussions covered training on methodologies for analysing the cost of obtaining a healthy and balanced diet to study the relationship between food prices, nutritional needs, and household purchasing power. These metrics will help the ministry evaluate the subsidy system's contribution to meeting citizens' nutritional needs based on scientific indicators and improve targeting for the most vulnerable groups. The officials explored activating cooperation programmes and exchanging expertise among Global South countries, allowing Egypt to benefit from successful international experiences while sharing its own developments in managing subsidies and securing food commodities. The meeting also reviewed technical cooperation with the food and nutrition systems committee headed by the Ministry of Health and Population, integrating the supply ministry's role in commodity provision and market monitoring with broader health and nutritional targets. Farouk emphasised that the partnership with the WFP aims to build sustainable institutional capacities within the ministry by transferring knowledge and localising modern tools and methodologies among Egyptian teams, ensuring a lasting impact on the state's strategic planning. The meeting was attended by Assistant Minister for International Relations and Agreements Doaa Nabil Bahaa El-Din and Head of the Central Administration for the Minister's Office Affairs Sarah El-Azazy. The WFP delegation included Deputy Country Director Rossella Fanelli, Head of Programmes Amani Gamal El-Din, Head of the Nutrition Unit Alia Hafiz, and Head of the Data Analysis and Vulnerability Unit Omnia Mansour.