The International Rescue Committee (IRC), in its newly released 2026 Emergency Watchlist report titled “New World Disorder,” has ranked Ethiopia among the top five countries most at risk of a humanitarian crisis.
The emergency watchlist places Ethiopia behind only Sudan, the occupied Palestinian territory, and South Sudan. It highlights that the country is at a point where overlapping conflict, climate shocks, and a collapse in international aid could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in 2026.
The report emphasized that international powers are increasingly prioritizing profit and strategic deal-making over the protection of civilians, noting that this trend is particularly visible in the Horn of Africa.
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IRC President and CEO David Miliband was quoted in the report issuing a critique of the global response: “What the IRC is seeing on the ground is not a tragic accident. The world is not simply failing to respond to crisis; actions and words are producing, prolonging, and rewarding it.”
Global humanitarian funding has seen a staggering drop of 50 percent over the past year. This decline was accelerated in early 2025 when major donors—most notably USAID—canceled up to 83 percent of their programs in certain high-need regions. The IRC warns that the ripple effects will be felt throughout 2026.
In the case of Ethiopia, there was a USD387 million reduction in U.S. government (USAID) funding in 2025.
“Without urgent action from those with the power to make a difference, 2026 risks becoming the most dangerous year yet. Civilians in Watchlist countries are paying the price today,” Miliband stated.
