As of early 2026, Sudan is widely considered the world's largest and most severe humanitarian crisis, with over 33 million people needing aid due to a devastating civil war causing widespread famine, displacement, disease, and collapse of essential services, creating the biggest hunger and displacement emergency globally. The conflict has pushed millions, especially children, to the brink of survival, leading to immense suffering and displacement.
Climate change is one of the major challenges of our time. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale.
“Since fighting erupted in April 2023, Sudan has become one of the largest and most devastating humanitarian crises in the world, pushing millions of children to the brink of survival.
The Depression was the longest and deepest downturn in the history of the United States and the modern industrial economy. The Great Depression began in August 1929, when the economic expansion of the Roaring Twenties came to an end. A series of financial crises punctuated the contraction.
The world is facing its largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, the United Nations says, issuing a plea for help to avoid "a catastrophe". UN humanitarian chief Stephen O'Brien said that more than 20 million people faced the threat of starvation and famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria.
After nine years of war, Yemen remains one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Around 19.5 million people – more than half of the country's population – require some form of humanitarian assistance.
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An estimated 27 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity — a 38 percent jump compared to January 2021 — making the country the most food insecure in the world.
Yemen. Yemen is one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time. More than 4.5 million people have been internally displaced and 18.2 million are in dire need of assistance.
There's no single "biggest" problem, but major global challenges consistently cited include climate change, poverty/hunger, health crises, and geopolitical instability/conflict, often interconnected, with public concern also high for issues like inequality, healthcare access, and corruption. Climate change poses existential threats, while poverty and hunger undermine basic human dignity and development, and instability disrupts progress, showing a complex web of critical issues.
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The Houthis claim that their actions are to fight against the alleged expansion of Salafism in Yemen and for the defence of their community from discrimination.
Yemen's ancient architecture is famous for its age and beauty—some buildings are more than 2,000 years old. Sunbaked stone blocks and bricks form structures that reach several stories high. The walled city of Shibam is representative of this architecture.
Around the world, 4.2 billion people helped someone they didn't know, volunteered time or donated money to a good cause according to the Charities Aid Foundation's World Giving Index 2023. For the sixth year in a row, the world's most generous country is Indonesia.
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In the UK, Muslims are known to be the most generous community, donating four times more than the average adult to charity. 1 They donated around £2.2 billion in 2023/24,2 with half of British Muslims indicating that they plan to increase their giving in the next year.
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
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At the other end of the spectrum, Nigeria ranks last with a score of 15.6. Despite its natural resources, the country struggles with poverty, weak healthcare, corruption, and security challenges, making daily life difficult for many.