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Top 10 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster in 2019

2019 to be another arduous year for millions globally as wars, famines and other disasters loom over several countries.

International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
The IRC's list is topped by war-torn Yemen where a Saudi-UAE-led coalition is supporting government troops loyal to President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in their fight against the Houthi rebels who control the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. Over 24 million people remain in need of humanitarian assistance, with the UN warning in late 2018 that the country risked facing a 'massive famine'. Yemen is also home to the worst cholera outbreak in modern history, with over one million affected. [Kellie Ryan/IRC]
Published On 6 Jan 2019

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has named the countries most at risk of being hit by humanitarian catastrophe next year, with Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan topping the top 10 list.

As wars, famines and other disasters loom over several countries, 2019 is set to be another arduous year for millions of people around the world.

The next seven at-risk countries identified by the IRC’s emergency response experts are Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Central African Republic, Syria, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Somalia.

The risks are both human (armed conflicts or economic collapse) as well as natural (droughts, floods and other climate-related events).

Internal or external displacement is the defining trend in the IRC list. Around 40 million people have been displaced across the world, with the top 10 countries accounting for over half – or nearly 22 million – of those displacements.

The 10 countries also account for at least 13 million refugees, 65 percent of the global total, plus an additional three million people who have fled Venezuela.

According to the United Nations, nearly 132 million people in 42 countries around the world will need humanitarian assistance, including protection, in 2019.

This photo gallery was provided by the International Rescue Committee

International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Years of fighting have led to major instability in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Over 13 million people in the vast country are experiencing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity. Recent displacement figures are contested, but the UN counted 4.5 million internally displaced in 2017. The DRC is also witnessing the second largest Ebola outbreak in history. [Kellie Ryan/IRC]
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International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Two years after independence in 2011, South Sudan was plunged into a devastating civil war that has killed tens of thousands. While the fighting has been reduced in the wake of a fragile peace agreement, violence persists, leaving 1.96 million people internally displaced, 2.47 million refugees and 6.1 million people facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse. [C Lomodong/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Afghanistan has been conflict-ridden since the US-led 2001 invasion. Once on the brink of defeat, the Taliban has been steadily advancing since 2014. The conflict, paired with chronic drought, has led to widespread displacement and food insecurity. [Andrew Quilty/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Venezuela's economic collapse has driven at least three million people from the country, largely because they can no longer afford to feed their families. It has also led to a rapid rise in crimes and violence and a breakdown of the healthcare system. [Iris Ebert/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
The Central African Republic (CAR) has experienced persistent instability since armed groups overthrew the government in 2013, exacerbating the situation in a country that was already under-developed. Despite efforts to bring armed groups into dialogue, many civilians remain at their mercy. Over 550,000 people also face alarming levels of food insecurity. [D Belluz/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Syria is facing an armed conflict since protests against the government of President Bashar al-Assad erupted in 2011. Health and education services have collapsed. Nearly 6.2 million Syrians remain internally displaced and 5.6 million more are registered as refugees in the region. [Abdullah Hammam/IRC]
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International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
During 2018, parts of Nigeria experienced repeated attacks by armed groups as well as communal violence exacerbated by competition for water and land resources. As a result, over two million Nigerians were displaced internally and nearly 230,000 sought refuge in neighbouring countries. [Juliette Delay/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Ethiopia recorded the highest number of internally displaced people in 2018, with some 1.4 million people uprooted from their homes amid violence. The situation is made worse by tension between regional political and ethnic groups since the new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in April and started to introduce reforms. [Mulugeta Ayene/IRC]
International Rescue Committee - 10 countries to watch out for in 2019
Somalia is plagued by a decades-old conflict. Triggered by instability and insecurity and combined with natural disasters, the crisis has left over 2.6 million Somalis internally displaced and 870,000 registered as refugees. [Will Swanson/IRC]