A new IFRC report, The World Disaster Report 2026, shows how misinformation fuels hostility and leads to health-damaging decisions.[1][4] Harmful information and dehumanizing narratives increasingly undermine trust and threaten the lives of aid workers.[1][4] The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has more than doubled in the same period.[1] Digital platforms are fertile ground for lies to spread with unprecedented speed and reach, amplified by artificial intelligence.[1] The report cites examples such as the 2024 Valencia floods, where false accusations limited aid and led to attacks on volunteers.[1] In South Sudan, rumors of poisoned aid have caused evasion of rescue efforts and threats against Red Cross staff.[1] Similar incidents have occurred in Lebanon, Bangladesh, Sudan, Myanmar, Peru, USA, New Zealand, Canada, Kenya and Bulgaria.[1] About 94 percent of disasters are handled by national authorities and local communities without international intervention.[1]