A lethal cocktail of war, natural disasters and economic volatility has led the international Red Cross to paint a picture of rising global instability as it announced record annual expenditure.
The Geneva-based humanitarian organisation's annual report shows it spent 724 million euros (just over one billion dollars) in 2008 with Sudan and Somalia ahead of Iraq and Afghanistan in the league table of aid priorities.
"Millions of people affected by armed conflict have become more vulnerable because of the combined effects of war, natural disasters and continued high food prices," the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.
"Afghanistan, Somalia and Pakistan are three examples of countries where natural disasters and high food prices have made life even harder for poor people already struggling to cope with the effects of war," said Jakob Kellenberger, ICRC president.