Sudan tops International Rescue Committe’s humanitarian crises list for third straight year

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) ranks Sudan as the world's most at-risk country for worsening humanitarian emergencies in 2026, marking the third consecutive year the war-torn nation has topped the organization's annual Emergency Watchlist.

South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Burkina Faso are among the other African nations in the top ten of the watchlist, which was released on Tuesday.

"What the IRC is seeing on the ground is not a tragic accident. The world is not simply failing to respond to crisis; actions and words are producing, prolonging, and rewarding the crisis," IRC President and CEO David Miliband said in a statement.

Miliband described Sudan's crisis—now deemed the largest humanitarian emergency ever recorded—as a "signature of this disorder" in global affairs.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in 2023. Since then, more than 12 million people have been forced from their homes.

Many displaced Sudanese face extreme violence, including rape, robbery, and loss of family members. Aid workers, hindered by a lack of resources, struggle to assist.

The IRC noted that although the 20 watchlist countries are home to just 12 percent of the global population, they account for 89 percent of those in humanitarian need worldwide. These countries are also projected to host more than half of the world's extreme poor by 2029.

Other countries on the list include Myanmar, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Colombia, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.