Matthew Kendrick spoke with Ghassan Salamé, the former head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, and former UN Deputy Secretary-General Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, as part of a panel at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings on Wednesday.
The international community is struggling to address half a dozen conflicts, spanning from the Middle East to Haiti, that often involve institutions poorly equipped to tackle modern problems. But that doesn’t mean they can afford to stop trying; it just means they need to get creative.
“The most urgent need is to bring back humanitarianism as a domain independent from war,” said Ghassan Salamé, the former head of the UN Support Mission in Libya, noting that the basic concerns of food, education, and healthcare must not be held hostage to military objectives. “And you cannot apply it in a selective way. You have to apply it in Ukraine with the same strength you do in Gaza.”
Bias in attention is especially stark for Sudan, where just 3.2% of humanitarian needs have been funded despite a brutal civil war that has killed over 15,000 and forced a staggering 8.2 million to flee.
“Indifference is much worse than hostility,” said Salamé. “Sudan needs concern.”
Part of the problem, according to former UN Deputy Secretary-General Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, is that “humanitarianism was based on the idea that conflict is temporary, and then you go back to development.” That means when the shooting starts, the IMF and World Bank tend to back away and wait for the dust to settle before starting to help stabilize the affected economy. That just won’t fly in the 21st century, and Malloch-Brown called for the institutions to develop new tools to provide help before, during, and after a country falls into violence to strengthen key unifying institutions, such as ministries of finance, education, and social welfare.
The key, said Salamé, is to “leave your textbook somewhere in your drawer and try to solve the situation as it is.”
Looking at crises in developing countries along longer trajectories can help highlight their hidden potential. When asked how these new approaches could apply to Haiti, where the formal government has all but collapsed, Malloch-Brown said the country “never had the degree of internal development, social reform, or inclusive economic policies that allow a stable polity to emerge.” If Haiti receives “a persistent period of tender love and care,” he added, its economic potential means “I’m optimistic enough to believe it can be fixed.”
The release of Antrhopic’s Mythos, a powerful AI model with an extraordinary ability to identify software vulnerabilities, appears to have rattled the Trump administration.
Crime rates are plunging in El Salvador, but this mass trial raises further questions about civil liberties in the Central American country.
Chris, an Army veteran, started his Walmart journey over 25 years ago as an hourly associate. Today, he manages a Distribution Center and serves as a mentor, helping others navigate their own paths to success. At Walmart, associates have the opportunity to take advantage of the pathways, perks, and pay that come with the job — with or without a college degree. In fact, more than 75% of Walmart management started as hourly associates. Learn more about how over 130,000 associates were promoted into roles of greater responsibility and higher pay in FY25.
Microsoft and North America’s Building Trades Unions announced an expanded partnership to bring no‑cost AI training to millions of workers in the building trades. The effort reflects a simple idea: the people building the future should also be equipped to thrive in it. The partnership builds on training that has already reached more than 1,500 instructors across 50 states and North America, expanding access through a recognized AI literacy credential on LinkedIn Learning. It also extends to the next generation of skilled professionals through NABTU’s TradesFutures programs in 34 states, helping strengthen workforce pathways as demand for AI infrastructure grows. Read the full blog here.