Inside Geneva: Looking Back at 2025, and Looking Forward to 2026

Host: Imogen Foulkes
Panelists: Dorian Burkhalter (SWI swissinfo.ch), Emma Farge (Reuters), Nick Cumming-Bruce (New York Times contributor)
Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Inside Geneva assembles a roundtable of Geneva-based journalists to reflect on the major humanitarian, political, and climate events of 2025, and to look ahead to the challenges and hopes for 2026. The panel delivers a candid, sometimes sobering conversation on the dramatic cuts to humanitarian aid, the ongoing crises in Gaza and Ukraine, escalating migration politics, climate-related disasters, and the shifting leadership role of the United Nations. The tone deftly combines journalistic rigor with personal reflection, underscoring the interconnectedness and gravity of global challenges going into the new year.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Humanitarian Aid Cuts and Impact

[04:02 - 11:18]

• Scale and Consequences:
  The panel opens by dissecting the most significant story of 2025: a dramatic reduction in humanitarian aid, particularly following Donald Trump's return to the White House and subsequent suspension of American foreign aid, with deep, sudden cuts from European nations as well.

  “We knew with Donald Trump coming back ... most likely there would be important cuts ... but we just didn’t expect ... the scale of the cuts that happened and also just how brutal they were.”
  — Dorian Burkhalter [01:03, repeated at 04:02]

• Real-World Fallout:
  Specific impacts were highlighted, such as the decimation of crucial services in Afghanistan, with only 1 out of 6 million people facing severe hunger expected to receive aid this winter. There are grave warnings about rising childhood mortality and the resultant risk of armed group recruitment in neglected regions.

  “The signs are that childhood mortality will be up again for the first time this century ... 200,000 more deaths this year.”
  — Emma Farge [06:33]

• UN Capacity and Structural Issues:
  The funding shortfall not only reduces service delivery but cripples UN agencies’ ability to plan and operate efficiently, with recurrent calls from donors for much deeper institutional reform and hyper-prioritization.

  “Budgets are still tanking and they have no means of predicting what resources they’re going to have to deal with ... which really cripples their abilities to plan and deliver.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [07:41]

  “In 2025, the UN has raised ... about $13 billion ... the lowest level since 2016. ... In 2016 ... 12 billion would cover about half or more ... today, it’s only a quarter.”
  — Dorian Burkhalter [09:08]

2. The Gaza Crisis

[11:59 - 17:45]

• Humanitarian Catastrophe:
  Gaza is cited as the most severe crisis witnessed by many in their careers, with Emma Farge emphasizing a string of mass casualty events and new reports of famine—the first such declaration outside Africa.

  “It has been, in the words of so many humanitarians, the most horrific humanitarian crisis they’ve seen in their careers.”
  — Emma Farge [12:41]

• Post-Ceasefire Paralysis and Unresolved Recovery:
  Since the October 10th ceasefire, the violence has lessened but conditions remain dire—malnutrition is rampant, and reconstruction is stymied by restrictions on entry of both humanitarian goods and bomb-defusing equipment.

  “We did an investigation on the unexploded bombs of Gaza ... one of the organizations said it’s going to take 30 years just to clear the surface.”
  — Emma Farge [14:00]

• Systemic Impediments:
  New Israeli requirements for NGO registration threaten to stymie aid flow further. Stories of obstruction for medical evacuations, particularly for children, persist with minimal improvement.

  “Numerous lives, numerous children have died waiting for approvals that could have been given instantly.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [17:00]

3. Climate Change Hits Home

[17:45 - 22:24]

• Swiss Village Disaster as Climate Warning:
  Imogen Foulkes shares her on-the-ground reporting from a Swiss Alpine village annihilated by a glacier collapse—an illustration of accelerating instability even in wealthy, well-prepared countries.

  “Those houses had stood there for 800 years ... the kind of Alpine mentality ... doesn’t pertain anymore because things are getting more unstable ... the permafrost is thawing.”
  — Imogen Foulkes [18:31]

• Political Backsliding:
  Despite escalating disaster, the political bandwidth to address climate change is shrinking. The US boycotted COP30, Donald Trump declared climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated,” and even Switzerland is contemplating major environmental spending cuts.

  “Even in Switzerland ... a huge savings [plan] ... some of those cuts will be problematic for the environment ... cuts ... in education and research.”
  — Dorian Burkhalter [20:24]

• UN’s Diminishing Role:
  The panel laments UN Secretary-General Guterres’ fading climate agenda under the weight of proliferating crises.

  “That was really his mandate and it just feels like it slipped away from him as political priorities have changed.”
  — Emma Farge [21:26]

4. The War in Ukraine and UN’s Struggle

[22:29 - 28:54]

• Humanitarian Toll Overshadowed by Peace Rhetoric:
  Amid high-profile peace talks in Geneva, attention is pulled away from the unrelenting suffering on the ground—civilian deaths from drone attacks, torture reports, and the continuing displacement of millions.

  “All the talk of peace had to some extent eclipsed the humanitarian toll ... large numbers of Ukrainians ... hunted down by ... short range drones.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [22:47]

• Peace Negotiations and Justice Concerns:
  The peace proposal reportedly contains blanket war crimes amnesties, which the panel finds deeply troubling.

  “The original [peace deal] had a complete amnesty for war crimes.”
  — Imogen Foulkes [24:23]

• UN’s Relevance and Limitations:
  While the UN’s human rights investigators provide crucial documentation for potential accountability, the organization’s capacity to mediate is hobbled by member states’ political will—or lack thereof.

  “The UN is only as good as its member states. If the member states are starving United Nations ... of funds ... we have seen almost total paralysis on the part of the United Nations Security Council.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [26:18]

5. The Trump Factor and Shifting Geopolitics

[29:21 - 31:51]

• Consequential Presidency:
  The return of Trump reverberates through every issue discussed—aid cuts, migration, and weakened alliances, with his presidency described as maybe “the most consequential” of the 21st century for global governance.

  “Love him or loathe him, I mean, this is probably the most consequential presidency of this century in terms of what he has done to governance ... expanded executive power.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [29:37]

• Erosion of Alliances:
  The transatlantic relationship is strained, and US disengagement has diminished traditional multilateral effectiveness.

  “We have seen ... the transatlantic alliance ... severely strained, if not impossibly fractured.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [30:49]

6. Migration: The "Race to the Bottom"

[32:36 - 39:50]

• Political Backlash:
  Migration has become a “dirty word” politically, with both Europe and the US locked in increasingly hostile postures. UN and NGO officials warn of a race to the bottom on asylum standards, with wealthy countries setting poor examples for nations hosting most of the world’s refugees.

  “It's almost like migration is this dirty word.”
  — Imogen Foulkes [34:26]

  “It’s a complete race to the bottom with the politics of migration ... Europe is throwing away its civilization ...”
  — Jan Egeland (as quoted by Imogen Foulkes) [33:34]

• UN’s Mandate and Future Leadership:
  Despite fierce political winds, multilateral defenses of the 1951 Refugee Convention persist. The panel discusses the incoming UN High Commissioner for Refugees—Barham Saleh, a former refugee—who brings personal resonance and a possible new direction.

  “...the importance of including refugee and asylum seeker and stateless people’s voices in shaping refugee policy.”
  — Nick Cumming-Bruce [39:07]

• Norms Under Siege:
  There’s deep concern that US policy (especially under Trump), aggressive ICE enforcement, and Europe’s hardening borders will not only endanger lives but further erode the international commitment to refugee protections.

  “He’s lowering the bar really low for what is acceptable and is going against international norms ... so it just also weakening international norms.”
  — Dorian Burkhalter [35:43]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Aid Cuts:
  “We just didn’t expect ... the scale of the cuts ... and how brutal they were.” — Dorian Burkhalter [04:02]
  “This so-called hyper prioritization ... they don’t think it’s gone far enough yet ... UN budgets as fictional.” — Emma Farge [09:48]

• On Gaza:
  “This is the most horrific humanitarian crisis they’ve seen in their careers.” — Emma Farge [12:41]
  “It’s going to take 30 years just to clear the surface [of unexploded bombs].” — Emma Farge [14:00]
  “Numerous children have died waiting for approvals [to medevac].” — Nick Cumming-Bruce [17:00]

• On Climate Change:
  “Things are getting more unstable ... the permafrost is thawing.” — Imogen Foulkes [18:31]
  “That was really his [Guterres’] mandate and it just feels like it slipped away.” — Emma Farge [21:26]

• On Ukraine:
  “All the talk of peace had to some extent eclipsed the humanitarian toll ... hunted down by ... drones.” — Nick Cumming-Bruce [22:47]
  “Original [Ukraine peace deal] had a complete amnesty for war crimes.” — Imogen Foulkes [24:23]

• On Migration:
  “It’s a complete race to the bottom with the politics of migration ... Europe is throwing away its civilization.” — Jan Egeland, quoted by Imogen Foulkes [33:34]
  “Every state is looking after their own interests ... a very bad example for ... host countries ... which are African countries.” — Emma Farge [34:26]
  “He’s lowering the bar really low for what is acceptable ... weakening international norms.” — Dorian Burkhalter [35:43]

• On the UN’s Role:
  “The UN is only as good as its member states ... we have seen almost total paralysis on the part of the United Nations Security Council.” — Nick Cumming-Bruce [26:18]

• On Positive Refugee Narratives:
  “What better example of a positive contribution to society?” — Emma Farge [38:33], referencing Barham Saleh as the new UNHCR head

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Humanitarian Aid Cuts: 04:02 – 11:18
• Gaza Crisis: 11:59 – 17:45
• Climate Change/Swiss Village Disaster: 17:45 – 22:24
• Ukraine and UN Struggles: 22:29 – 28:54
• Trump’s Influence/Geopolitical Shifts: 29:21 – 31:51
• Migration/Race to the Bottom/New UNHCR Chief: 32:36 – 39:50

Tone and Final Thoughts

The panel conveys frustration with political inertia yet continues to emphasize the crucial role of international institutions and the imperative of preserving humanitarian and refugee norms. There’s a blend of outrage at the erosion of established standards (“a race to the bottom”), empathy for suffering civilians, and measured hope that new leadership and public dialogue—such as including more refugee voices—might help push the conversation in a humane direction.

“[Maybe] not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year, but at some point we hope there will be some accountability. I mean, that’s something I think we could say, yeah, we still need the UN in Geneva for, but it’s tough.”
— Imogen Foulkes [24:56]

(Please note: Ads, show plugs, and closing housekeeping have been excluded as requested.)