Sudan again ranks first on Emergency Watchlist of worsening crises

War-ravaged Sudan, home to the world’s worst internal displacement crisis, has topped the annual Emergency Watchlist of countries where humanitarian conditions are expected to deteriorate further in the coming year.

The list, published on Tuesday by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), identified the 20 most at-risk countries in 2026.

Sudan ranked first for the third consecutive year. The Gaza Strip and the West Bank — the Palestinian territories that the IRC groups together — placed second, followed by South Sudan.

The civil war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023, remains locked in a brutal stalemate with seemingly no apparent prospect of de-escalation.

Sieges have cut entire cities off from humanitarian assistance, while further escalation between the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) risks spreading violence to additional areas of the country, the IRC said.

Millions in Sudan are exposed to extreme violence, hunger, and disease, says the aid group in the report titled “New World Disorder.”

The United Nations has also described the conflict in Sudan, which began in April 2023, as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Fighting has displaced around 12 million people, while every second resident is threatened by hunger, it says.

“This year’s Watchlist is a testament to misery but also a warning: without urgent action from those with power to make a difference, 2026 risks becoming the most dangerous year yet,” IRC President David Miliband said.