Nigeria, often referred to as the Giant of Africa, and nine other African countries were ranked on the watchlist of the global humanitarian crisis due to conflict, climate shocks, and collapsing services that are pushing millions across Africa toward catastrophe.

The International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) 2026 Emergency Watchlist makes that painfully clear. The Emergency Watchlist utilizes early-warning indicators, conflict escalation, displacement, food security, access constraints, and funding gaps to identify where crises are likely to worsen next year.

Meanwhile, in this article, Tribune Online streamlined ten African nations that feature most prominently on the global humanitarian crisis watchlist. But what is driving the emergency in each of these countries: Jobs? For example, Nigeria’s official unemployment figure is rising by one measure, and broader underemployment is a worrying concern, while the world’s unemployment rate has hovered near historic lows.

Sudan

In Sudan, civil war since April 2023 has battered cities, displaced millions, and blocked aid routes; the IRC ranks Sudan as the single most at-risk country.

South Sudan

With South Sudan, a fragile peace, repeated floods, and food price shocks risk a return to widespread fighting and starvation in the country, making it among the watchlist.

Ethiopia

A localised conflict, notably Oromia and lingering Tigray effects, climate shocks, and aid shortfalls are driving mass need in Ethiopia.

Somalia

Somalia has been battling with the climate crisis and violence for years. Years of drought, food insecurity, and armed group violence keep communities on a knife-edge in the country.

Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, for the past eight years, armed groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda have engaged in an escalating campaign of kidnappings, forced recruitment, attacks on civilians, blockaded towns, and shrinking humanitarian access push this country higher on the watchlist.

Mali

Mali is known as a low-income economy, with limited diversification and vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations. It faces armed group expansion, trade-route disruption, and hunger, which make the country a top concern for 2026.

Niger

The spillover from regional instability, military coups, and climate pressures in the country is stretching coping capacity, which places the country on the global humanitarian crisis watchlist.

Nigeria

Nigeria, the largest national population on the African continent, struggles with communal and insurgent violence in parts of the country, plus economic stressors, which place Nigeria among African countries facing growing humanitarian needs.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The DRC has long-running eastern conflicts, displacement, and disease. These concerns make DRC a persistent humanitarian hotspot.

Libya

Despite being an oil-rich country strategically located at the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, and holds rich yet unfulfilled potential. The country’s fragmented governance, militias, and disrupted services create localized humanitarian crises across the country.

In each of these countries, donors and governments should prioritise access, local partners, and flexible funding to stop these emergencies sliding into even larger disasters.

(Nigerian Tribune)

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