Overview
- Sudan ranks first on the International Rescue Committee’s 2026 Emergency Watchlist for a third consecutive year, with the occupied Palestinian territories and South Sudan next on the list of 20 crises.
- The Watchlist countries represent 12% of the global population yet account for 89% of people in humanitarian need, as overall aid funding has fallen by about 50%.
- More than 14 million people have been forced from their homes in Sudan and millions face acute hunger as the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces grinds on.
- Fresh evidence and testimony point to mass atrocities in Darfur following the October 26 fall of El Fasher, with UN officials citing war crimes concerns and Yale researchers documenting apparent systematic killings and efforts to destroy evidence.
- The IRC urges urgent measures including scaled-up funding and suspension of UN Security Council veto use in mass-atrocity cases, as conflict economies and access restrictions hinder civilian protection and aid delivery.