The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will slash its global workforce by 20 per cent, citing what it calls “brutal cuts” in donor funding that have left the agency with a staggering $58 million shortfall for 2025.
In a letter to staff obtained by the Associated Press, U.N. humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that the crisis comes at a time when global needs are growing and humanitarian workers are already “underfunded, overstretched, and literally under attack”.
The agency currently employs about 2,600 staff across more than 60 countries. The planned cuts, Fletcher said, are part of a broader effort to reconfigure operations to align with reduced resources and to streamline internal bureaucracy. This includes a significant reduction in senior-level posts at U.N. headquarters and in several regional offices.
Among the countries where OCHA will scale back its presence are Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which serves as a humanitarian hub for operations in Syria.
Fletcher did not explicitly name the source of the budget cutbacks but strongly suggested that the United States—a long-time leader in humanitarian assistance—had slashed its contributions. The U.S. has historically accounted for roughly 20 per cent of OCHA’s extra-budgetary resources, amounting to about $63 million annually.
RISE Belize, a coalition of youth-led organisations, is calling on the Ministry of Youth and Sports for a formal dialogue on the future of youth development in Belize. In a letter to Minister Anthony Mahler and Minister of State Devin Daly, the group stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and meaningful youth inclusion in national decision-making.
The coalition says young people deserve more than symbolic involvement and are demanding a seat at the table. “We are ready to help shape a future where youth are seen, valued, and empowered,” the group stated.
RISE Belize is urging youth groups nationwide to join the call for a stronger, more inclusive youth agenda. They now await a response from the ministry.
Partner organisations include the National Students’ Union of Belize, Belize Youth Movement, and the Commonwealth Youth Peace Ambassadors Network, among others.
The Corozal Police Formation on Friday recognised first-form student Marian Gilharry of Cornerstone Presbyterian High School as the February 2025 recipient of the “Du Di Rait Ting” award.
The “Du Di Rait Ting” (DDRT) initiative, launched in 2005 by the Belize Police Department under its Community Orientated Policing Unit, aims to spotlight youths across Belize for their positive behaviour, community involvement, and academic dedication. The first national awards were held in 2006.
Gilharry was awarded a certificate, a letter from the Commissioner of Police, a DDRT T-shirt, and educational supplies. A member of the business community also donated a cellphone in recognition of her efforts.
Friday’s event marked the first DDRT award ceremony in Corozal since the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials, including Northern Regional Commander Sr Superintendent Christopher Noble and Superintendent Elroy Carcamo, were present. The police expressed plans to revitalise the programme in partnership with schools and communities moving forward.
The DDRT programme encourages youth to stay in school, build character, and foster strong ties between students, schools, communities, and law enforcement.
A viral social media video showing several people brutally attacking a horse with a machete has sparked outrage. The public and animal rights activists quickly called for the arrest of those involved. Thankfully, the injured horse, named Oney, has been found and treated for his injuries. This afternoon, five people were formally arrested and charged with Cattle Theft, Cruelty to Animals, and Abetment to Commit Cruelty to Animals. Among them are twenty-year-old Raheem Herbert, nineteen-year-old Tyreek Straughn, and three minors, who were charged in the presence of their guardians. This shocking incident has led to calls for stricter animal cruelty laws. Recently, fifteen horses belonging to the tour guide Joshua Trapp were stolen from his ranch. While the police have recovered most of the horses, several were found in poor condition. Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explained the charges that can be brought against those who commit animal cruelty and assured the public that these cases are taken very seriously.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Nobody said yesterday that the penalty was a hundred dollars. Mr. Lopez asked that question and an answer was given, but the public seems have taken it to mean that we were saying that the penalty for the offense is only a hundred dollars, but no, under the law, the offense of the offense of cruelty to animal carries a imprisonment term of six months. And there is no provision there for a fine. Yes, we know that applying the legal principles that even though a fine is not there, the magistrate at trial if found guilty can still impose a fine or they can go at a custodial sentence depending on how they see the evidence and the different submissions that the different parties may make at that particular juncture. In addition to that, they’re also being charged with abatement to commit cruelty to animal. And under the law section twenty of the criminal code, it states that we are a person that abets to commit a crime if that person is found guilty and the crime, that the abate to commit actually occurred, then the penalty shall be just as if would be similar to the crime that they had abated to commit. So in this case, the abatement is going to carry another, um, six months imprisonment. And then we have cattle theft. Cattle theft is a more serious offense that carries the penalty up to. I think of the three, three to five years imprisonment. is something that is really outrageous. It’s of shock, the public sense, and the public conscience. And, I think that we must give it great priority again, as has been said by the Humane Society and even the ordinary Belizeean and who witness what happened. They’re saying that we need to do something that is going to send a strong signal. We have many animals out here that are owned by people and we must always ensure that we care for these animals and we show empathy towards them”
Today, five youths accused of severely injuring a horse appeared in court. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams led the prosecution and objected to bail, citing the widespread nature of the crime. Despite this, the Magistrate granted bail at two thousand, five hundred dollars each. Williams informed reporters that the youths will face three charges. He also noted that agencies responsible for animal welfare, health, and protection will address issues like malnutrition, which has been a major concern among citizens regarding pet care.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The Police have charged those individuals with three counts, one count of cruelty to an animal, one count of abetment to commit cruelty to an animal, and one count of cattle theft.”
Reporter
“Based on this case, I think people were pointing out from way before the fact that a lot of youth are roaming around the city with these horses that look malnourished. Is that something that authorities would look into, including the police, because you’re the ones who bring the charges and I know that the care of animals factor under the Cruelty to Animals Act.”
Chester Williams
“That is not going to be something the police will be able to look at. It will fall more within the domain of health authorities, perhaps maybe even BAHA and I know that they do have a humane society that operates within Belize. I think they can pull their resources together and see what can be done to address those issues. I know for a fact that while we do have these young people who may move around the city on these horses, I think for the most part they, they do show a great degree of love towards these animals. So perhaps it can just be that they don’t have the means to properly care for them. And I think when we experience those circumstances, then the wider society should see what they can do to assist these young men in caring for the horses. Again, I think that if they have a pet – I would still refer to a horse as a pet – if it is that you can show care and empathy towards an animal, that also assists you in terms of your upbringing.”
Public outrage over the brutal attack on a horse by three youths has spilled from social media into the streets. News Five spoke with several people who expressed their disgust and called for stricter penalties and better enforcement. Many citizens criticized the current laws, which only impose a maximum fine of one hundred dollars. On Thursday, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams mentioned that the youths face other charges that could lead to prison sentences of six months or more. Meanwhile, a petition on Change.org by concerned citizen Liz S has gathered over two thousand signatures, urging authorities to take immediate action to protect animals like dogs, cats, and horses from neglect and abuse. The petition calls for tougher laws and penalties for animal cruelty, better enforcement of animal ownership regulations, and educational programs to promote compassion and responsibility. Here are some of the views shared by Belizeans in downtown Belize City earlier today.
Lawrence Vernon
Lawrence Vernon, Concerned Citizen
“It’s most disgraceful for the country of Belize. We are supposed to be compassionate people and not even our own human beings are we are being compassionate with and now we are extending it to animals. It’s a big black eye for the country. The poor animals can’t think for themselves and you’re going to abuse just for nothing? I think that’s most disgraceful. Quite a few of the laws need to be revised and looking at this one of a hundred dollars to chop up a horse, that’s ridiculous. I think definitely, the government or the politicians should look into it and address it.”
Gloria Fritz
Gloria Fritz, Concerned Citizen
“I think its cruel and I think that human beings are a little bit higher than animals because they communicate different from us so an animal is like a person. You need to treat them good and they can be faithful friends and they are reliable.”
Marion Ali
“So when people abuse them, what should happen to these people?”
Gloria Fritz
“They should receive some kind of punishment.”
Marion Ali
“Is a hundred-dollar fine punishment in your eyes?”
Gloria Fritz
“No. No, it should be more severe.”
Jose Uc Espat
Jose Uc Espat, Activist
“In 2019 I had rescued a horse that was left for dead. Ms Chandra Nisbet had contacted me and the horse was right in front of her mom’s house. We rescued the horse. I brought the horse back from almost death’s door and I don’t know if it was the kids that had the horse came into my yard and chopped the horse on the back and the forehead just the way these guys chopped this one. Myself and Ms Rudon have been trying to advocate – because I’m the one they have as the Humane Society’s horse expert. We can no longer have hundred-dollar fines or anyone that abuses animals. We have to have some jail time or we have to have some public whipping. Whip them in public, the same way they abuse animals, we have to have them feel that pain because this is no joke.”
Voice of: Concerned Citizen
Voice of: Concerned Citizen
“It’s totally disgraceful because dehn animal can’t talk fi dehnself and we as human beings should share the love of God. Nuh di abuse up animals cause that nuh me no sense. What can an animal do to you – actually a horse, what can he or she do to you? So they should get the full extent of the law for abusing a dumb animal.”
Marion Ali
The full extent of the law at this point is a hundred-dollar fine.”
Voice of: Concerned Citizen
“That’s too lenient.”
Connie Hyde
Connie Hyde, Concerned Citizen
“I felt it’s wrong because the horse nuh have no sense and what can a horse do to a person that they going to hurt him? So what do you feel ought to be done now that they have done this to the animal? The police have charged them and by the current law, the fine will be a hundred dollars each. Jail, fine and community service, all three.”
Anthony Chan
Anthony Chan, Concerned Citizen
“I have dogs myself and I love my dogs and when I see stuff like that ih mek I feel bad.”
Marion Ali
“What do you think about the penalty though – a hundred-dollar fine for abusing an animal that severely?”
Anthony Chan
“That’s not fair. Ih need fi be more than that.”
Marion Ali
“What do you recommend.”
Anthony Chan
“Maybe time in jail.”
Jose Uc Mena
Jose Uc Mena, Concerned Citizen
“Some of the people think that they are animals and we could work them, we could lash them, we could hurt them, but they don’t realize that they have feelings like we. Apart from that, that animal help we in our life, in our work. Horses, donkeys, all the animals – we use to make our work easier. So we have to educate our children from small. They have to respect all the living animals or plants.”
Earlier today, Justice Tawanda Hondora dismissed a case brought by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones. The case, filed in 2023, aimed to review a decision by the Security Services Commission that recommended the Governor General retroactively promote Doctor Richard Rosado. Doctor Rosado, represented by attorney Wayne Piper, joined the case as an interested party. DCP Jones challenged the promotion, questioning seniority and whether there was an available position in the Belize Police Department for Doctor Rosado’s promotion.
Wayne Piper
Wayne Piper, Attorney-at-law
“The claim by Bart Jones was to seek the court to quash the decision to appoint Dr. Rosado, to promote Dr. Rosado on a certain date. The issue that was taken was that the date was earlier than the promotion date of Mr. Jones, which was seen as giving him seniority, giving Dr. Rosado seniority over Mr. Jones. The decision of the court was, I would say, we can summarize it threefold. One: that the promotion to the effective date, the court found a little difficulty with the challenge to that decision because Mr. Jones, himself, was a recipient of a retroactive promotion and there wasn’t enough evidence. The court’s position was that there wasn’t enough evidence led by the claimant to substantiate why the earlier date of Dr. Rosado should be circumvented. The other issue was the issue of seniority and in that position the court took the view there was a difference between the Public Service Regulations and the police force manual. Where the police force manual would have referred to Mr. Jones as junior, the Public Service Regulations has a provision that once the promotion is within six months of the other date, then they’re both at the same level. The court found in favor of the Public Service Regulations having superior effect over the police force manual.”
Doctor Richard Rosado has been named the new Commissioner of Police, taking over from Chester Williams as the leader of the Belize Police Department. The claim by Deputy Commissioner Bart Jones, which came before Rosado’s appointment, was an effort to overturn the Security Service Commission’s decision and pave the way for Jones to become the next Commissioner.
Wayne Piper, Attorney-at-law
“Dr. Rosado has indicated to us, we have communicated this decision to him and he has indicated to us that it was never anything personal between him and Mr. Jones. It was a matter of… it’s a professional matter and I think the court, in the decision, also explained or expanded on it to say that both Dr. Rosado and Mr. Jones have been caught up on sort of an unfortunate circumstance because of these discrepancies between the force’s manual and the regulations where they’ve both found themselves in court, in litigation. But from what we’ve spoken to Dr. Rosado is that there is still a very professional, cordial relationship between them and he’s also expressed to me that the force’s manual that has been shown to have some deficiencies as he moves into his new role, he intends to work very hard on having that updated.”
Before the Commissioner of Police announced his departure, Deputy Commissioner Bart Jones had already legally challenged the retroactive promotion of Doctor Richard Rosado to Deputy Commissioner. Today, Commissioner Williams stated that he is not involved in deciding his successor.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have not really read the ruling as yet, so I can comment at this time. The appointment of a Commissioner of Police is not within my purview as Commissioner of Police. That lies clearly on the prerogative of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Home Affairs. They decide who they want to be the commissioner of police, and if they choose to appoint Mr. Rosado as commissioner of police, then I have nothing to say about that. I just support whatever decision has been made in respect of that matter and moving forward, I’m supporting Mr. Rosado fully as we go through the transition period. At the end of the day, I want that when he takes over this department that he can be successful in whatever he intends to do to make this country safer.”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has confirmed that twenty-four-year-old Luis Marin, who was murdered on Tuesday night, was a suspect in a weekend shooting in Belmopan. On Saturday, a video showing three men running from a car while shots were fired at them went viral on social media. In that attack, twenty-three-year-old Jamal Hyde was injured by gunfire. Less than a week later, Marin was found dead in his home in Belize City. Today, Commissioner Williams confirmed Marin’s involvement in the shooting and announced that police have a suspect in custody for his murder.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
”We are looking at that issue in Belmopan in the aftermath of that shooting, there was a lot that we did to try and avert any possible retaliation, particularly in the Belmopan, Cotton Tree and Roaring Creek area. Unfortunately we see where it happened, the retaliation took place in Belize City in an area where we did not anticipate it to have occurred. Nonetheless, the police remain extremely vigilan. And in these areas of concern, we always do our best to try and avert these things from occurring, but sometimes the retaliations would happen outside of where the police would’ve normally expected it to occur. So, I’m happy to say that the police have made great strides in the murder investigation now, where the guy was killed, that’s Luis Marine was killed in the Majestic Alley area. The suspect for that matter is in custody and he should be charged today and should be appearing in court sometime this afternoon.”
Reporter
“And so it is retaliation? That’s the belief?”
Chester Williams
“Yes, we certainly believe that it has to do with the shooting in Belmopan and it’s a retaliation in respect of that shooting.”
Reporter
“Some people commented that the gunman found the guy before police. You guys wanted him but no wanted poster was put out.”
Chester Williams
“The police had been in search for him, certainly, and his name was circulated internally, um, that he was wanted by the police. And again, we could not have put out a wanted poster because the circumstances under which the incident occurred. When he were to be found, we would have to do an identification period. And so once we’re going to have to do identification period in a matter, it is not legally practicable for us to circulate, wanted poster of that person because at trial, the attorneys can say that the only reason the witness identified the person was because the person picture was in a wanted post prior to them conducting identification parole. So again, it’s a legal safeguard that is in place to protect, protect the rights of accused persons. So we could not have done that. And again, you, you would know, that the public, is the one who normally provides the police information. There are more people out there in society who are not police officers than police, so the public will know more than us, and that’s the reason why we always emphasize that ninety-nine point nine percent of police work is based on information received from the public. And we always welcome those informations,”
