DRC predicts 6.7 million more displaced by 2026 amid rising global conflicts
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has projected that an additional 6.7 million people will be forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2026, with Sudan accounting for nearly a third of this number. According to the DRC’s Global Displacement Forecast Report 2025, 4.2 million people are expected to flee conflict zones in 2025 — the highest prediction since 2021 — followed by 2.5 million in 2026.
The report attributes the spike mainly to armed conflict, but also highlights the growing role of economic instability and climate change. Sudan remains the epicenter of the crisis, with 2.1 million more people expected to be displaced by 2026. The country has already seen 12.6 million people forced from their homes due to the ongoing civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces.
DRC’s AI-powered Foresight model, developed with IBM, bases its forecasts on 148 indicators across 27 countries. In Sudan, the crisis has emptied cities, collapsed services, and triggered severe hunger, yet international aid remains underfunded. The report also warns of worsening displacement in other crisis zones including Afghanistan, Syria, and the Sahel, and urges stronger political action, climate investment, and consistent humanitarian funding.
