The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released its annual neglected displacement crises list for 2025. DR Congo for the tenth consecutive year appears on the annual list of top neglected displacement crises.
Norwegian Refugee Council draws attention to neglected displacement crises
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has released its annual list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises, with DR Congo appearing for the tenth consecutive year. The list highlights huge crises that receive little attention, funding, and solutions.
According to the NRC, lack of political will, media attention, and funding for international aid lead to these huge crises being neglected. The organization uses these criteria in compiling its list of neglected displacement crises.
“For some crises, we witness impactful and swift political action, borders kept open, funding plenty, and media coverage extensive. Those in power need to show the same humanity towards people affected by crises in places such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” said NRC’s Secretary General, Jan Egeland.
However, the Democratic Republic of Congo appears on the NRC’s 2025 neglected displacement list, marking its tenth consecutive year on the list. An Ebola outbreak in the country also continues to affect communities devastated by years of displacement.
NRC’s report noted that in 2025, donors provided only 27.4% of the funding required to respond to the crisis in DR Congo. This was the lowest rate in 10 years and left about 21 million people with reduced assistance.
Similarly, Sudan tops the list of the most neglected displacement crises in the world. The conflict has internally displaced more than 9 million people , and about 4 million have left for neighboring countries.
Other countries on the list include Colombia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Honduras, Ecuador, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Mozambique. Some of these countries have appeared on the list at least six times.
Council calls for funding for neglected crises
The NRC in its release urged donor governments to fund crises based on humanitarian needs and the scale of displacement rather than geopolitical interest. It says funding cuts are widening the gap between needs and humanitarian aid.
“The crises ignored today will demand a larger, costlier, and more complex response tomorrow. The world does not lack skills nor resources. Be it arranging football World Cups or pioneering space exploration, our ability to organize and overcome challenges is almost without limit. We can and must finally take the decision to end the neglect that has caused such deep suffering for millions of people,” said Jan Egeland.
Moreover, the Norwegian Refugee Council calls on political leaders and diplomats to engage seriously with the root causes of elongated displacements. It also calls on media organizations to report on highlighted crises with consistency and depth.