Three weeks after US President Donald Trump's order to freeze foreign aid, Syrians are already seeing medical clinics providing urgent assistance close, water distributions slow down, and bread distribution in many displacement camps grind to a halt. After nearly 14 years of war, the UN estimates that 16.5 million people across Syria need some sort of aid. While the December overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad is beginning to change the way aid works in the country, the need for widespread relief for those dealing with severe poverty, food insecurity, and mass internal displacement has been unrelenting.

The Sudanese army appears close to retaking the capital city Khartoum from the paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as momentum continues to swing in its favor following nearly two years of conflict. Reports suggest the army has been advancing on multiple fronts, having broken a bruising siege on its Khartoum headquarters last month. It has also won back significant territory in other parts of central Sudan, including Gezira state. Military control, however, has come at a significant cost, with the UN reporting that soldiers and allied militia have been carrying out summary executions of civilians they accuse of being RSF collaborators. Workers in self-organized "mutual aid" groups—the backbone of the humanitarian response in Sudan—have also been targeted in the reprisals.

Outgoing President Joe Biden informed Congress Jan. 14 that he would lift the US designation of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT), as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island. The followiing day, the Cuban government announced it would release 553 prisoners who had been jailed for "diverse crimes." The agreement also eases some economic pressures on Cuba, including lifting sanctions on companies run by the Cuban military and the suspension of a legal provision that had enabled Cuban Americans to sue the Cuban government for confiscated property. The Cuban government responded by saying that the United States was taking "steps in the right direction" but emphasized that "the economic war remains."

With the sounds of war starting to fall silent in the Gaza Strip after 470 days of brutal Israeli military assault and siege, a tiny crack of hope has opened for the Palestinian residents of the enclave that they will be able to gather the shattered pieces of their lives and begin the daunting task of rebuilding. But whether the deal reached by Israel and Hamas on Jan. 15 will lead to a decisive end to the war remains entirely unclear.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Jan. 7 declared that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country's ongoing civil war. This would mark the second genocide Sudan has seen in less than three decades, following the Darfur genocide of the early 2000s. Blinken's statement outlined atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, including ethnically targeted massacres of men, boys and infants, as well as widespread sexual violence inflicted upon women and girls. "Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies," he said.

A group of UN human rights experts on Dec. 30 called for Israel to face immediate accountability and consequences for systemic violations of international law. As the armed assault on Gaza and forced displacement of its population continues unabated, the UN experts warned: "We cannot afford to lose the force of the multilateral system." They called for full-scale investigation and an end to impunity in a case of "potential genocide." They called on all states to "take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its actions and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.... Only through accountability can the rule of law be upheld and human rights protected."

A trade dispute panel convened under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled Dec. 20 that Mexico's import restrictions on US genetically modified corn violates the accord. The conflict stems from a presidential decree published by Mexico in February 2023. The decree established an immediate ban on the use of genetically modified corn in dough and tortillas, and instructed Mexican government agencies to gradually end its use in animal feed and other products. The panel evaluating the restrictions determined that they were not based on science, and contravened the market access required under the USMCA.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) declared on Dec. 11 that Sudan is currently experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis ever recorded. The report states that approximately 30.4 million people—over half of Sudan's population—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a staggering figure that accounts for 10% of all people globally requiring aid, despite Sudan representing less than 1% of the world's population. Health services have been critically impacted, with more than 70% of healthcare facilities nonfunctional and widespread outbreaks of diseases like cholera and malaria threatening already vulnerable populations.