The greatest concern or emergency mentioned in the current global context for 2025 is the escalating humanitarian crises driven by multiple interrelated factors such as rising conflicts, diplomatic failures, attacks on civilians, climate change impacts, and growing poverty in fragile countries. The International Rescue Committee’s 2025 Emergency Watchlist highlights these imbalances as the core drivers pushing more people into crisis worldwide, with urgent needs for increased humanitarian aid, improved civilian protection, climate adaptation, and economic stability
. Among the most severe crises, Sudan stands out as a critical emergency, with over 30 million people requiring humanitarian aid due to ongoing conflict, displacement, and political instability. The humanitarian response funding required for Sudan alone is over $10 billion in 2025, reflecting the scale of the emergency
. Additionally, health emergencies are also a major concern, with 42 health crises affecting 305 million people globally, exacerbated by war, displacement, climate change, and disease outbreaks
. In a historical context, President Abraham Lincoln’s greatest concern expressed in his Gettysburg Address was the preservation of the Union during the American Civil War and the challenge of ensuring that the nation, "conceived in Liberty," would endure despite the war’s devastation
Summary:
- Greatest current global emergency: Worsening humanitarian crises due to conflict, climate change, poverty, and diplomatic failures, with Sudan as a top example
- Critical health emergencies: 42 global health crises affecting hundreds of millions, worsened by conflict and displacement
- Historical emergency (Lincoln): Preservation of the Union during the Civil War and the survival of democratic ideals
