Willis: Rising threats, political evacuations and kidnap shaped the 2025 crisis management landscape

LONDON, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Incidents involving threats to individuals or client assets increased by more than a third in 2025, accounting for 37% of all incidents reported to Alert:24 – the in-house risk advisory and crisis support service provided by Willis, a WTW business (NASDAQ:WTW). The second most common peril notified in its latest Crisis Management Annual Review, which was political repatriation, made up for a fifth (19%) of all 2025 incidents.

2025 was a year that continued to reshape the global risk environment. Geopolitical volatility, economic pressure, shifting alliances and the rise of youth-led activism created sustained uncertainty for organisations operating internationally. Amid escalating conflicts, political division and social unrest, businesses faced a more complex risk environment, requiring them to safeguard people and assets, maintain operations, and strengthen long-term resilience.

The overall volume of incidents remained broadly consistent with recent years, while the nature of the risks evolved. Rising threat alerts in regions of escalating geopolitical risk drove increased demand for intelligence and support, while ongoing instability in high-risk markets continued to test organisational preparedness. Looking ahead to 2026, businesses face an operating environment marked by persistent unpredictability. The interplay between political dynamics, economic pressures and rapidly shifting security conditions will continue to test organisational resilience.

Other key takeaways include:

• Threat frequency: The broad range of perils facing Alert:24’s clients followed a similar pattern on a monthly basis to that of 2024, with the exception of a deviation in June, following the Iran-Israel conflict. This caused higher repatriation assistance demand, as well as situational information, safety advice and intelligence analysis. Overall, there was a 10% rise in the total number of clients assisted in the first 11 months of the year, compared with the same period in 2024. Incident notification frequency remained relatively consistent with previous years.
  
• Prominent trends: In 2025, kidnap and extortion risks increasingly reflected broader global instability, with threats intensifying in traditionally high-risk countries and emerging in states previously considered lower risk. Persistent political, social, and economic fragilities enabled organised criminal groups, particularly in Latin America and West Africa, to use kidnapping and extortion to generate revenue, exert control, and challenge state authority.
  

• Regional distribution of incidents: In 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the highest number of client notifications for the third consecutive year, accounting for over a quarter of incidents, with nearly half originating in the DRC amid ongoing conflict, disease, and criminality. North America followed closely, Latin America saw an overall decline and Europe and Asia Pacific continued to report the fewest notifications, consistent with 2024.
  

Beyond 2025, episodes of political instability will reshape global trade, creating an environment of ongoing uncertainty where a single event can trigger widespread commercial disruption. As a result, firms that can anticipate and swiftly adapt to political risks affecting their international supply chains are better positioned to outperform competitors.

Jo Holliday, global head of crisis management, said: “We heard from many clients that 2025 was a challenging year.  Across every region, our Crisis Management and Alert:24 teams helped clients navigate a complex threat landscape through diverse incidents. Through this experience and our Crisis Management Review, our aim is to provide leaders with clear, data-driven insights to help them interpret these dynamics and take informed next steps.”

The report can be downloaded here.

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Media contacts
Jo Barrett
jo.barrett@wtwco.com / +44 7940703911

Lauren David
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