Report
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched its annual Emergency Watchlist on 14 December 2022, highlighting the 20 countries at greatest risk of new or worsening humanitarian emergencies next year.
Somalia and Ethiopia top the list of countries deemed most at risk in 2023 as East Africa faces the worst drought in decades. Afghanistan is in third place, while Ukraine features in tenth place.
With more than 340 million people worldwide in humanitarian need, and more than 100 million displaced, IRC expert analysis clearly identifies three major accelerators of humanitarian crises - armed conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil.
The Watchlist shows that the systems designed to prevent such crises from spiralling out of control are being dismantled - including diplomatic agreements, UN tribunals, climate early warning systems, and humanitarian aid itself - and highlights what can be done to rebuild these guardrails against a runaway world.
