Humanitarian & Conflict Crises in 2026

The Russia-Ukraine war remains an active, high-casualty armed conflict, with recent reporting showing continued civilian harm from long-range missile and drone strikes. ACLED reported that Russian strikes killed at least 43 civilians across multiple Ukrainian regions during 21–27 February 2026, and the Institute for the Study of War reported that Russia launched 115 drones against Ukraine on 24–25 February 2026. Civilian protection, energy, transport, and housing infrastructure remain major concerns, and the UN continues to verify civilian casualties while noting that confirmed figures likely understate the true toll because some incidents cannot be immediately verified or occur in occupied areas. Humanitarian and displacement needs remain large, with millions of Ukrainians still displaced inside the country and abroad, and fighting and strikes continue to affect regions including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Vinnytsia, and Zaporizhzhia.

Gaza remains in a severe humanitarian emergency, with conditions still described by UN agencies as dire despite the post-ceasefire partial improvement in access. OCHA reported in July 2026 that 67% of the population continued to face high levels of acute food insecurity, with 1.2 million people in Crisis or worse and 212,000 in Emergency conditions; the IPC projected deterioration to 1.4 million people in Crisis or worse by the end of 2026. The December 2025 IPC/UN update also said at least 1.6 million people, or 77% of the population, were still facing high levels of acute food insecurity, while more than 730,000 people had been displaced since the ceasefire. The health system remains critically degraded. The UK government’s June 2026 bulletin said at least 94% of Gaza’s hospitals are damaged or destroyed and only about 2,000 hospital beds remain across the Strip. UNICEF’s mid-2026 update said 1.9 million of Gaza’s 2.1 million people were displaced and that access restrictions continued to disrupt humanitarian delivery, including healthcare, water, sanitation, and protection services. OCHA also reported continued movement restrictions, new displacement, and rising risks to food, water, shelter, and sanitation across Gaza in July 2026.

A catastrophic flash flood struck the Bhotekoshi river corridor on the morning of 26 August 2026, triggered by a glacial collapse and debris flow on the Nepal–Tibet border (initially misreported as a magnitude 4.4 earthquake by the USGS, later confirmed as a glacial collapse). A wall of mud, ice and water — estimated at several storeys high in CCTV footage — swept through Rasuwa district, including Timure, Syaphrubesi and Betrawati, before surging down the Trishuli river through Nuwakot and Dhading, destroying entire settlements, bridges and hydropower projects with almost no warning. By 27 August, at least 160 people had been killed in Nepal — with 270 bodies recovered by Thursday morning per BBC reporting — and 826 people remained missing, including more than 500 foreign tourists and at least 44 security personnel. Chinese state media reported at least 3 dead and 265 missing in Tibet's Gyirong County, later revised to 558 missing including 260 foreign nationals. The flood destroyed 19 motorable bridges and about 40 km of highway, damaged roughly 430 MW of electricity generation capacity across nine hydropower projects, and severed roads, communications and power along the Kathmandu–Kerung trade corridor, hampering rescue efforts. Officials expect the death toll to rise sharply as rescue teams reach remote valleys. Nepal's cabinet declared Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading "disaster crisis areas", mobilising the army and private helicopters; the UN, US (US$500,000), India, China, South Korea and the World Bank (up to Rs 25 billion) have pledged or coordinated support. ICIMOD warned of a potential secondary flooding event from debris deposited in the river system.

Yemen’s humanitarian crisis is worsening in 2026 as acute food insecurity rises and aid funding falls. UN-backed food security analysis reported that around 18.3 million people — about 52% of the population — are acutely food insecure, including about 5.2 million in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and around 41,000 in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5) in some districts of Hajjah, Al Hodeidah, and Amran governorates. UN officials also warned in January 2026 that more than 20 million Yemenis would face acute food insecurity and tens of thousands could face famine-like conditions as humanitarian access becomes more restricted. The crisis is being driven by prolonged conflict, economic collapse, climate shocks, and sharply reduced humanitarian support. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan says over 22 million people need assistance, including 10.95 million women and girls, and it seeks US$2.16 billion; it also estimates 14.4 million people need water, sanitation, and hygiene support, while more than 2.2 million children under age five face malnutrition, including 516,157 with severe acute malnutrition. UN and NGO reporting also says aid cuts are reducing food, nutrition, health, and WASH interventions, with the Food Security Cluster and Nutrition Cluster under severe strain and some health facilities already closed because of funding shortfalls.

Pakistan’s 2025 monsoon flood emergency became one of the country’s most severe recent disaster events, with reported deaths rising from 739 by 21 August to 892 by 5 September, 922 by 8–9 September, and a final nationwide toll of 1,037 by late November 2025. The heaviest losses were consistently recorded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab; later reporting attributed 504 deaths to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 304 to Punjab, with thousands of injuries also reported across the country. The crisis affected millions of people and caused major infrastructure damage. UN reporting said more than 6.9 million people were affected, while damage included over 229,700 homes destroyed or partially damaged, about 2,811 km of roads affected, and 790 bridges damaged; earlier UN updates also noted more than 2,400 houses damaged or destroyed, over 1,000 livestock lost, and at least 20,000 people displaced at one point in the emergency. Relief and early recovery planning for October 2025 to April 2026 sought US$151 million to assist 1.6 million people in 14 priority districts, showing that humanitarian needs remained substantial after the floodwaters receded.

Myanmar’s post-coup conflict remains a severe, multi-front civil war, with the junta still under pressure from the People’s Defence Force, the National Unity Government, and multiple ethnic armed organizations. Recent reporting cited by the Council on Foreign Relations says the military government controls about 21% of territory while rebel forces and ethnic armies hold about 42%, and the United Nations and Human Rights Watch report more than 3 million people displaced, with the 2026 Human Rights Watch estimate at least 3.6 million internally displaced. The humanitarian situation remains extremely acute. Human Rights Watch says more than 15 million people face acute food insecurity, and AP reported in early 2025 that nearly 20 million people needed humanitarian aid and about 3.5 million were internally displaced; Amnesty reported in January 2025 that the junta had killed more than 6,000 people and that more than 20,000 had been arbitrarily detained since the coup. The Rohingya crisis remains unresolved, with Amnesty noting 2024 was the worst year of violence against the Rohingya since 2017 and the conflict in Rakhine continuing to block safe repatriation. The conflict is concentrated in Rakhine, Shan, Kachin, Sagaing, Magway, Mandalay, Karen, and Chin, with continued fighting and airstrikes against civilian infrastructure. UNHCR reported in May 2026 that around 299,000 people had fled Myanmar to neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, India, and Thailand, while Rohingya refugees remain largely in Bangladesh with no safe return in sight.

Haiti’s gang violence crisis remains a severe humanitarian emergency in 2026, with armed groups controlling much of Port-au-Prince and expanding violence into other regions, including Artibonite, Centre, and the Northwest. UN reporting in 2026 says gangs control up to 90% of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, while the crisis has driven mass displacement, blocked commerce, and severely disrupted public services, including health care, education, water access, and transport. Recent UN and humanitarian reporting indicates the situation remains extremely grave: around 6.4 million people need humanitarian assistance, internal displacement has reached about 1.47 million people, and more than 5.8 million are expected to face hunger in 2026. The UN-linked reporting also says violence remains high despite recent security actions, with at least 1,642 people killed and 745 injured in the first quarter of 2026, and earlier reporting noted more than 5,500 killed and over 2,600 injured during 2025. Funding is still far below needs. The 2026 humanitarian appeal had received only 25% of the required $880 million by mid-June, and the IRC reported that by the end of 2025 only 24% of needed funding had been secured, leaving as many as 1.7 million people at risk of losing critical services.

Darfur remains one of the worst displacement and protection crises in the world, with renewed fighting around El Fasher and other parts of North Darfur driving repeated waves of forced flight. UN agencies report that nearly 12 million people across Sudan have been uprooted, while the conflict has also pushed millions into neighboring countries and left civilians facing bombings, sexual violence, hunger, and disease outbreaks. The humanitarian situation is especially severe in Darfur, where aid access is heavily restricted and displacement sites are overcrowded. UN sources say Tawila now hosts about 600,000 displaced people, while around 260,000 civilians remain trapped without safe exit routes from El Fasher; the crisis is worsened by cholera, dengue, malnutrition, and major funding shortfalls for humanitarian operations. Famine has already been confirmed in parts of Darfur, and millions more across Sudan face acute food insecurity.

South Sudan’s security and humanitarian crisis remains severe and is still deteriorating in several hotspots, especially Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria, where UNMISS reported renewed hostilities between armed forces aligned with peace agreement signatories in January 2026. The UN Secretary-General said in late January that 250,000 civilians had already been displaced in the first weeks of 2026, while UN agencies later reported that conflict and flooding continued to drive displacement and food insecurity nationwide. The humanitarian situation is worsening. UN reporting said nearly 10 million people need humanitarian assistance in 2026, more than three quarters of the population, and the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is underfunded, having received only $351 million of the $1.5 billion required by late April 2026. Food insecurity is extremely high: 7.8 million people were projected to face crisis-level hunger between April and July 2026, including 73,300 in catastrophic conditions and 2.2 million children under five at risk of malnutrition. The UN also warned of a credible risk of famine in four counties in Upper Nile and Jonglei states. Protection and health risks are acute. The UN documented 350 attacks on humanitarian personnel and facilities in 2025, and more than 98,000 cholera cases had been reported since September 2024, with renewed spread in Jonglei. The Human Rights Division documented 1,158 conflict-related incidents in 2025, affecting 5,108 victims, including 2,299 killed and 2,015 injured, a 40% increase from 2024. Flooding, climate shocks, political polarization, insecurity on supply routes, and spillover from the Sudan war are compounding the crisis across Jonglei, Upper Nile, Unity, Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, and Western Bahr el Ghazal.

Sudan’s health system remains near collapse in 2026 amid the ongoing war, mass displacement, repeated attacks on healthcare, and widespread hunger. WHO reported in January 2026 that more than one third of health facilities nationwide were non-functional, and it reiterated in April 2026 that 37% of facilities remained non-functional across the country’s 18 states. WHO also said the conflict had driven the system to the brink of collapse and left millions without access to essential care. The crisis is being compounded by attacks on hospitals and ambulances, disease outbreaks, and severe humanitarian needs. WHO reported 217 verified attacks on healthcare since April 2023, causing 2,052 deaths and 810 injuries by April 2026; earlier January 2026 figures were 201 attacks, 1,858 deaths, and 490 injuries. The 2026 humanitarian plan says 33.7 million people need assistance, including about 21 million who need health assistance, while outbreaks of cholera, malaria, dengue, measles, and polio continue to strain an already fragile system.

Manipur’s ethnic violence crisis remains a prolonged protection emergency in India’s northeast, driven by conflict between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities and marked by displacement, deaths, arson, and continuing insecurity. Available reporting and compiled government figures indicate at least 258 deaths and more than 60,000 displaced people as of late 2024, with many families still unable to safely return home and some communities living in relief camps or under heavy security restrictions. The crisis has also caused severe social and economic disruption: homes, religious sites, and businesses have been burned or damaged, movement has been restricted by checkpoints and periodic shutdowns, and essential services and livelihoods have been strained by the unrest. Public reporting describes continuing instability in affected districts, with the conflict’s humanitarian needs centered on shelter, food, healthcare, education, protection, and durable solutions for displaced households.

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remains a severe and worsening humanitarian and security crisis, driven by fighting between the Congolese army, the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, and other regional and local armed actors. In July 2026, the UN said fighting in South Kivu had continued despite peace efforts, with both sides using drones, heavy artillery, and other explosive weapons in civilian areas, causing civilian deaths, injuries, livestock losses, and destruction of homes. Recent UN reporting also said more than eight million people have been displaced across the DRC during decades of conflict, with more than one million refugees already having fled the country and fears of additional displacement if the violence continues. In early 2026, Reuters reported a ceasefire planned under the Doha framework, but both the Congolese government and M23 continued accusing each other of violations, while renewed clashes were also reported in South Kivu and around Minembwe. The crisis remains concentrated in eastern DRC, especially North Kivu and South Kivu, with spillover into areas including Goma, Bukavu, Uvira, Minembwe, and other towns affected by fighting and displacement. Human rights and humanitarian reports describe killings, sexual violence, attacks on IDP sites, and worsening disease risks in overcrowded displacement settings.

Burkina Faso’s humanitarian crisis remains severe in 2026, driven by persistent armed conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and restricted humanitarian access. Recent UN and partner reporting says about 4.5 million people in the country need humanitarian assistance, while 1.6 million people are estimated to need emergency food assistance and nearly 223,000 are in the emergency phase of acute food insecurity. Displacement and service collapse continue to affect the country broadly. The 2026 humanitarian overview for Burkina Faso, Mali, and western Niger reports about 2.0 million internally displaced people in Burkina Faso and more than 3,000 schools plus 974 health facilities non-operational across the region, while aid delivery remains constrained by insecurity, road blockages, and administrative barriers. Human Rights Watch also reports that JNIM and IS Sahel continue besieging towns and villages, cutting residents off from food, fuel, medical care, and humanitarian aid. The crisis is concentrated in Burkina Faso but has regional spillover into Mali and western Niger, and Burkina Faso continues to host refugees while also seeing Burkinabè refugees in neighboring Mali. Available reporting indicates the situation is still deteriorating or at best remaining highly unstable because insecurity and access constraints continue to limit livelihoods, services, and assistance delivery.

Recent verified reporting does not support the claim of a nationwide disaster with more than 100 deaths since July across Assam, Kerala, and Jammu and Kashmir; instead, the strongest recent evidence describes a wider 2026 monsoon pattern that is *below average overall* and raising economic and agricultural risks rather than documenting a single consolidated casualty toll. Reuters reported on May 29, 2026 that India’s monsoon was forecast at 90% of the long-term average, the weakest since 2015, with inflation risks rising. The Economist also reported in early August 2026 that India’s monsoon is becoming more erratic, reinforcing concern about increasingly uneven rainfall patterns. Available sources in the search results do indicate recent flood and landslide impacts in multiple Indian states, but the evidence is fragmented and does not provide a verified nationwide total of deaths or displaced people for the current event. Secondary reporting cites heavy monsoon disruption in Assam and other states, including infrastructure damage, crop losses, and relief-camp pressure, while broader economic commentary notes that monsoon-related damage in India can reach tens of thousands of crores of rupees in a severe season. Because the search results are incomplete and some sources are low-credibility or not directly about the current crisis, the safest verified summary is that the 2026 monsoon is worsening flood and landslide vulnerability across several regions, with confirmed severity for local humanitarian and livelihood impacts but no reliable single national casualty or displacement total in the provided material.