Four reasons why Ecuador is at risk of experiencing a worsening humanitarian crisis in 2024.

Over a decade of conflict has made Syria one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. A recent 7.8 earthquake has devastated communities even further.

Mid-December 2022, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) published its annual Emergency Watchlist, identifying the 20 countries in the world most at risk to face a severe humanitarian crisis or a deterioration of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in 2023. Once again, our unique methodology based on 67 indicators and discussions with key stakeholders in the region, concluded that the situations in 5 West African countries are of high concern. Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria are all countries where conflict, climate change, and economic turmoil impact the lives of millions of people and limits their access to quality health, education, and protection services, food, and sometimes, even to benefit from humanitarian assistance. These countries need the world’s attention to help displaced and host populations survive, recover, and rebuild their lives. This report aims to dive into these contexts and unpack the accelerators of the humanitarian crisis to then better identify the guardrails that decision makers need to rebuild so people can move from harm to home.

Learn how IRC teams are providing innovative solutions in the countries on the frontlines of climate change.

The United Nations recently warned that “famine is at the door” in Somalia, where millions are already nearing starvation. Other countries and regions around the world, including Africa’s Sahel region and Afghanistan, also face crisis-level food insecurity. One common thread across these contexts and crises is that children will be the most impacted.

The coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed even countries with advanced health care systems. But while Europe and the United States face shortages of ventilators, intensive care units (ICUs) and protective equipment, many countries affected by conflict and crisis have virtually none to begin with.

Five reasons why Ethiopia is at risk of worsening humanitarian crisis in 2023.

Four reasons why Myanmar ranks as one of the countries most at risk of experiencing a worsening humanitarian crisis in 2024.