Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has released its 2022 Emergency Watchlist, a global list of humanitarian crises that are expected to deteriorate the most over the coming year.
Even though these twenty countries are home to only 10% of the world’s population, they account for a staggering 89% of those in need of humanitarian aid worldwide. Through the IRC’s work, we have also seen small moments of hope in these countries: from the birth of a new baby to a child finding solace in music to a refugee giving back to his community.
Below, hear from five people on their struggles and their wishes for the future as they face some of the world’s most deteriorating crises.
Afghanistan is number one on this year’s Watchlist. The shift in power to Taliban control in August 2021 after decades of conflict led international donors to immediately suspend most non-humanitarian funding and freeze billions of dollars’ worth of assets.
Yemen is number three on this year’s Watchlist. The country dropped from its previous position in the number one slot not because things have improved, but because other crises have worsened.
Economic collapse and the destruction of health, education and other critical systems due to years of conflict continue to push Yemenis deeper into need. Since 2015, 229 schools and 148 hospitals have been damaged during fighting or used for military purposes. Over 16 million people are facing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity.
