January 28, 2026 – The tenth annual CARE Crisis Report, published today, analysed global online media coverage of humanitarian crises and revealed that the Central African Republic is the most overlooked humanitarian crisis of 2025, with only 1,532 online articles. The protracted conflict there has left more than 2.4 million people in need. One in five across the country is displaced from their homes. The Central African Republic has appeared in every edition of the CARE Crisis Report since the report’s launch in 2016.
“As disasters and conflicts continue to escalate worldwide, humanitarian crises are increasingly forced to compete for public attention—and for the lifesaving funding that follows,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE. “For more than a decade, the CARE Crisis Report, spearheaded by our colleagues from CARE Austria and CARE Germany, has shined a light on emergencies that risk being overlooked. Visibility is not just about awareness, it is fundamental to human dignity and survival. When crises fall out of the public eye, they are less understood and too often sidelined by decision-makers, even as millions of people continue to face urgent and unmet needs.”
Africa bears the brunt of forgotten crises
Namibia in Southern Africa ranks second on the list, with 1.3 million people lacking sufficient food. Zambia comes in third, where 5.5 million people rely on humanitarian aid. While Honduras and North Korea are also included in the report, eight of the ten most neglected crises again are in Africa. A key factor across these crises: climate change. Climate change is acting as a powerful accelerator—driving more frequent and severe weather events, harvest failures, and mounting pressure on water and food supplies.
This is also true in Zimbabwe, where drought threatens the food security of millions, especially in rural areas. “It was heartbreaking to see the severity of the 2023/24 El Niño-induced drought in Zimbabwe affecting millions of people in Zimbabwe so widely overlooked by the media. Communities struggled to access clean water and sufficient food. The lack of international attention is hardly helpful when families in urgent need are hoping for support,” says Charlene Pellsah Ambali, Assistant CARE Country Director in Zimbabwe. “The world must step up and notice disasters like these—only then will there be enough pressure to support communities quickly and adequately.”
Ten Humanitarian Crises That Didn’t Make Headlines in 2025:
- Central African Republic – One in five people is displaced.
- Namibia – 1.3 million people do not have enough to eat.
- Zambia – 5.5 million people are dependent on aid.
- Malawi – Four million people face food insecurity.
- Honduras – Over 50 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
- North Korea – 10.7 million people are affected by undernutrition.
- Angola – 2.6 million people—half of them children—are in need.
- Burundi – 1.2 million people do not have enough food.
- Zimbabwe – One in four children under five is malnourished.
- Madagascar – About one in seven people is reliant on humanitarian aid.
Photo material on the ten forgotten crises (Photo credit: CARE)
Read the full CARE Crisis Report here.
Methodology: For the tenth CARE Crisis Report, international media monitoring service Meltwater analysed five million online articles from about 345,000 online media outlets in Arabic, German, English, French, and Spanish. The period studied was from January 1 to September 30, 2025. From a list of 43 humanitarian crises, each affecting at least one million people, the ten crises with the lowest media attention were identified.
For media inquiries, please email usa.media@care.org