New World Disorder means the aid system cannot afford business as usual

As the first quarter of this century draws to a close, the humanitarian sector confronts a brutal arithmetic of growing need and declining support. There are more active conflicts than any time since the Second World War. Food insecurity has reached catastrophic levels. Displacement is near record highs. Yet all of this is unfolding amid a dramatic retreat from international aid and a weakening of global co-operation.

This is not a coincidence. It is a convergence.

The International Rescue Committee’s 2026 Emergency Watchlist: New World Disorder argues that the widening gap between rising need and shrinking support is not simply a humanitarian failure. It is the direct consequence of the geopolitical trends reshaping how countries interact with one another. While the post-Second World War international consensus was based on rules and rights, the emerging disorder is notable for the absence of both. Instead, we find ourselves in a moment defined by rivalry, volatility and transactional power politics.

For communities already living on the edge, this disorder is devastating. And for the humanitarian system, it presents an unforgiving test. Needs are rising sharply. Resources are falling fast. The question is not whether we should respond – but how.

David Miliband on Gaza, Lebanon and global humanitarian cr