Sudan has once again topped the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) global watchlist of humanitarian crises, as the country’s devastating war enters its third year with no sign of easing. The conflict between General al-Burhan’s army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in April 2023, has already killed tens of thousands and triggered the largest displacement crisis in the world.
The IRC ranked Sudan first for the third consecutive year in its index released on Tuesday, highlighting the 20 countries most at risk of seeing new or worsening humanitarian emergencies.
IRC President David Miliband warned that what is unfolding in Sudan is “not a passing tragedy,” stressing that international inaction — compounded by harmful political decisions — has deepened the crisis and prolonged suffering. Sudan’s continued position at the top of the index and its classification as the largest humanitarian emergency ever recorded, he said, reflects a profound failure of global response.
According to the IRC, more than 12 million people have been displaced by the fighting. Humanitarian workers, already operating with minimal resources, are struggling to reach populations in need, while displaced families face violence, looting, separation from relatives, and widespread sexual assaults.
As 2026 begins, over 239 million people worldwide urgently need humanitarian assistance and protection — the highest level since World War II — driven by enduring conflicts marked by extreme violence against civilians and an accelerating climate crisis.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released its 2026 Global Humanitarian Overview, outlining the world’s most severe emergencies and response plans. Humanitarian partners are appealing for nearly $33 billion to assist 135 million people in crisis-affected countries.
The report warns that conflict, hunger, displacement, and disease are tearing apart communities, killing and maiming civilians, subjecting women and girls to systematic violence, separating families, uprooting people from their land and livelihoods, and fueling disease outbreaks while damaging mental and physical health.
Among the countries with the highest number of people in need, several Arab states dominate the index. Sudan ranks first, with 33.7 million people requiring assistance. Yemen follows with 23.1 million, Afghanistan with 22 million, and Syria with 16.5 million.
Civilians worldwide are increasingly caught in record levels of armed conflict marked by blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, including mass atrocities and attacks on hospitals and schools.
In Sudan, a 500-day siege of El Fasher culminated in the killing of thousands of civilians by the RSF. Similar patterns of targeted violence are now emerging across Kordofan as the country enters 2026, underscoring the absence of any respect for civilian life or freedom of movement.
