Sudan, Palestine top IRC’s 2026 Emergency Watchlist
Sudan and Palestine face the world’s most severe humanitarian risks as global instability deepens, according to the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) 2026 Emergency Watchlist released on Tuesday.
The report warns that a “new world disorder” driven by intensifying geopolitical rivalries, shifting alliances and transactional politics is worsening crises while international support for vulnerable populations continues to shrink, News.Az reports, citing Al Jazeera.
Sudan topped the list for the third consecutive year after nearly three years of conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. The war has killed an estimated 150,000 people, displaced more than 12 million and left 33 million in need of humanitarian assistance. The IRC cited regional interference and widespread impunity as key drivers of the crisis.
Palestine ranked second for the third year in a row, amid Israel’s war on Gaza and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank. The report said civilians in Gaza face extreme suffering despite a ceasefire reached earlier this year, with hundreds of thousands experiencing famine-level food insecurity and aid access severely restricted.
The IRC noted that the 20 countries on its watchlist account for just 12 percent of the global population but represent 89 percent of people worldwide in need of humanitarian aid. Despite record displacement and hunger levels, humanitarian funding has fallen by around 50 percent, leaving aid agencies struggling to respond.
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