Global Displacement Set to Surge by 6.7 Million by 2026, Warns Aid Group

Humanitarian organisation the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) warned on Friday that wars and attacks on civilians will force 6.7 million people from their homes over the next two years. The DRC highlighted that international aid cuts, particularly from the United States, UK, and Germany, have left millions vulnerable and without vital support.

Charlotte Slente, the DRC’s secretary-general, condemned the “devastating” withdrawal of aid, stating, “We live in an age of war and impunity, and civilians are paying the heaviest price.” The DRC’s Global Displacement Forecast revealed that the current number of displaced people worldwide stands at 122.6 million, with a projected “staggering spike” of 4.2 million people in 2025 alone—the highest forecast since 2021. An additional 2.5 million displacements are expected in 2026.

Sudan and Myanmar are predicted to account for nearly half of all displacements, with Sudan’s ongoing crisis identified as “the world’s most urgent humanitarian crisis.”

Currently, 12.6 million people are displaced within Sudan and in neighbouring countries, with starvation used as a weapon of war. Meanwhile, Myanmar’s civil war has displaced 3.5 million, with nearly 20 million people needing humanitarian aid. The DRC projects another 1.4 million forced displacements in Myanmar by the end of 2026.

Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Yemen, and Venezuela are also expected to see significant increases in displacements due to ongoing conflict, climate change, and socio-economic instability. Of the 6.7 million people expected to be displaced by 2026, around 70% are predicted to be internally displaced within their own countries.

Slente criticised the decision to cut humanitarian aid, especially under the Trump administration, calling it a “betrayal of the most vulnerable.” She described the current situation as a “global ‘perfect storm’: record displacement, surging needs, and devastating funding cuts,” adding, “Major donors are abandoning their duty, leaving millions to suffer. This is more than a crisis. It is a moral failure.”