A former Head of Policy Development and Evaluation at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Jeff Crisp, has suggested that the organization’s newly announced leadership appointments could signal a shift in its priorities away from refugee protection and asylum toward humanitarian assistance and development.

Reacting to the appointments in a post on X, Crisp said the selection of the agency’s new senior officials “suggest that the agency might be going to focus on humanitarian assistance & development issues rather than refugee protection & asylum.”

He added that his concerns were reinforced by UNHCR’s support for the European Union’s Pact on Migration and Asylum.

“A suspicion strengthened by UNHCR’s endorsement of the EU Pact on Migration & Asylum,” Crisp wrote.

His comments came shortly after United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointments of Tressa Rae Finerty as Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees, Antón Leis García as Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, and Edem Wosornu as Assistant High Commissioner for Protection.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih welcomed the appointments, saying the three officials bring extensive experience in humanitarian affairs, international cooperation and refugee protection. They are expected to assume their duties in the coming weeks.

Crisp’s remarks reflect concerns held by some refugee rights advocates and migration experts who have argued that UNHCR faces increasing pressure to balance its traditional mandate of protecting refugees and defending the right to asylum with expanding responsibilities in humanitarian response, development cooperation and migration management.

The appointments come at a time when the agency is grappling with record levels of forced displacement worldwide, shrinking humanitarian funding and increasingly restrictive asylum policies in many parts of the world.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in communities already devastated by years of armed conflict, displacement and inadequate access to basic services, urging the international community to step up funding and political support for the response.

In a statement, NRC’s Country Director in DR Congo, Eric Batonon, said the outbreak was unfolding in Ituri province, the current epicentre of the epidemic, where thousands of displaced people have spent years living in overcrowded shelters with poor sanitation and limited healthcare.

According to Batonon, prolonged violence by armed groups competing for control of land and mineral resources has forced millions from their homes, while the humanitarian crisis has received insufficient attention from donors and the international community.

He said these conditions had created an environment in which Ebola has been able to spread rapidly, contributing to the rising number of infections.

Batonon stressed that infection prevention and control measures must remain central to the response, adding that affected communities should play a leading role in shaping response strategies.

He said building trust and engaging directly with local populations would be critical to containing the outbreak, arguing that Ebola can only be effectively controlled when community priorities guide public health policies.

The NRC said it has intensified its Ebola response in eastern DRC through community awareness campaigns and preventive health measures. The organisation is establishing handwashing stations, distributing hygiene supplies and supporting efforts to reduce the risk of infection in affected communities.

It also said its teams are working to minimise disruptions to children’s education by helping schools operate safely during the outbreak.

In addition, NRC staff are assessing the impact of the epidemic on internally displaced persons in Ituri as well as neighbouring North and South Kivu provinces, where many people continue to live in overcrowded camps with inadequate sanitation facilities.

The findings, Batonon said, will help shape humanitarian interventions for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

The NRC noted that DR Congo has appeared on its annual list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises every year over the past decade, reflecting what it described as persistent international neglect of the humanitarian situation in the country’s east.

Batonon called on donors to provide flexible and sustained funding while increasing political engagement to ensure the Ebola response can outpace the spread of the disease and address the underlying humanitarian conditions that have worsened the outbreak.

The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) has launched a redesigned website aimed at making its research, analysis, data and multimedia resources more accessible and user-friendly for policymakers, researchers, journalists and the general public in the United States and around the world.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Washington, D.C.-based think tank said the new platform was developed to provide a more intuitive browsing experience across desktop, mobile and tablet devices while improving access to its wide range of migration-related resources.

MPI President Andrew Selee said the redesign reflects the organization’s commitment to ensuring that evidence-based research and analysis are easily available to diverse audiences.

“We wanted a site that meets people where they are, whether they’re a policymaker or researcher looking for analysis, a reporter or non-profit official looking for data, or a member of the public encountering our work for the first time,” Selee said.

According to MPI, one of the major improvements is the integration of interactive data tools throughout the website. In addition to the Migration Data Hub, users can now access interactive statistics directly within publications, commentaries and articles published on the Migration Information Source.

The institute also expanded access to its multimedia offerings, including podcasts and short videos, which are now more prominently featured across the site. For the first time, transcripts accompany the audio and video content to improve accessibility.

MPI said the redesigned website was built with accessibility as a priority, incorporating features such as screen-reader compatibility and color choices designed to support users with visual and auditory impairments. The platform is also fully responsive, allowing seamless use across multiple devices.

The website introduces easier navigation to short-form resources through a section called The Basics, where users can quickly find explainers, podcasts, data tools and articles highlighting individual immigrant populations.

The institute added that the platform has been designed with artificial intelligence in mind, enabling its research findings and datasets to be more easily discovered by AI-powered search and research tools.

MPI Director of Communications Michelle Mittelstadt said the redesign reflects changing patterns in how audiences consume information.

“This is a state-of-the-art platform that is both contemporary and professional,” Mittelstadt said. “It’s designed for how people actually find and use information today.”

The Migration Policy Institute said the new website is intended to strengthen public access to reliable migration research and data while supporting informed policy discussions globally.