Sudan has once again been named the world’s most severe humanitarian crisis, holding the top spot on a global watchlist for the third consecutive year as its brutal civil war drags on.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) released its annual Emergency Watchlist on Tuesday, identifying 20 countries expected to face worsening humanitarian conditions in 2026.
The occupied Palestinian territories were ranked second on the list.In the report, the IRC warns that the world is sliding into what it calls a “New World Disorder”, marked by growing humanitarian emergencies and a steep decline in global funding for vulnerable populations.
According to the IRC, many of today’s conflicts are fuelled by battles for power and profit.
In Sudan, the organisation says both the fighting factions and their foreign backers are profiting from the gold trade, with civilians bearing the devastating consequences.
Africa features heavily on the watchlist, accounting for six of the world’s ten most crisis-hit countries and half of all ongoing conflicts globally.
Other African countries on the list include South Sudan, ranked third, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
The report highlights how conflict, political instability, climate shocks, and economic pressures are converging across multiple regions.
Although the 20 countries listed make up just 12 percent of the global population, they account for a staggering 89 percent of worldwide humanitarian needs.
The watchlist also includes Haiti, Lebanon, Ukraine, as well as Syria and Yemen, both of which have endured more than a decade of civil war.
The IRC warns that without urgent action from global decision-makers, 2026 could become the most dangerous year yet.
The organisation is urging binding international measures, including suspending the United Nations Security Council’s veto power in cases involving mass atrocities.
Sudan descended into chaos in April 2023 after a power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces erupted into full-scale fighting.
The war has killed more than 40,000 people, according to United Nations figures, though aid groups say the real toll is likely far higher.
The conflict has triggered the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 14 million people and fuelling disease outbreaks and famine in parts of the country.
