World: 2025 Acute Needs Analysis - Global Key Findings | January 2026

Countries: World, Central African Republic, occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sudan Source: REACH Initiative Please refer to the attached file. SUMMARY In 2025, IMPACT Initiatives piloted the Acute Needs Analysis (ANA) in 19 crises. In 8 of these, the analysis identified locations at risk of excess mortality (RoEM): where critical vulnerabilities and breakdowns in essential services converge in ways that suggest largescale loss of life is likely occurring, or imminent without rapid mitigation. In the Gaza Strip, Sudan, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic (CAR), findings point to particularly widespread system strain and service collapse, likely resulting preventable deaths across large parts of the country. Moreover, in contexts such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), risk of excess mortality classifications were less geographically widespread yet some of these areas contain large populations, suggesting that substantial numbers of people may still face life-threatening conditions (Map 1). These findings emphasize that risk of largescale loss of life can emerge both in high-profile emergencies marked by recent large-scale shocks, such as Sudan and Gaza, as well as more protracted contexts like CAR and South Sudan, where cumulative shocks, insecurity, and service erosion continue to place lives at risk, often with less public attention. Where evidence did not indicate an immediate risk of loss of life, Acute Needs — defined here as severe gaps in access to life-sustaining services such as healthcare and safe drinking water — were widespread across nearly all analysed crises. When these gaps accumulate or overwhelm coping capacities, they heighten vulnerability to future shocks and increase the risk of preventable deaths. Importantly, while the ANA identified some areas and groups most at risk, evidence gaps constrained full analysis, in some cases even preventing conclusions for large parts of the country (Map 1). As a result many vulnerable populations remain at risk of being left behind. This brief provides a high-level overview; coverage and confidence vary by crisis based on the availability of credible and timely evidence. More information, including more detailed crisis analyses, can be found on the ANA webpage.

Read More