The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)‘s World Heritage Committee, meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, has inscribed six new sites on its List of World Heritage in Danger, three of them under an emergency procedure, according to a press release by UNESCO. The emergency inscriptions cover the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape in South Sudan, Mount Amel Castles in Lebanon, and Sebastia in the State of Palestine. These three properties were simultaneously added to the World Heritage List and its Danger List. The decision reflects current crises marked by armed conflict and climate change that severely affect heritage. The announcement was made on 26 July 2026.
The application of the emergency procedure signals the scale of threats facing cultural and natural heritage worldwide. The Committee stated that these crises are exposing sites to serious threats. Three additional properties already recognized on the World Heritage List have also been placed on the Danger List. These are the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora in Ukraine, the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo in Suriname, and Tyre in Lebanon. Each faces distinct pressures compromising the values that justified their original inscription.
The Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape hosts the largest known terrestrial mammal migration in the world and reflects centuries of herding, farming, and fishing traditions across several ethnic groups. The Committee flagged threats including infrastructure development, commercial poaching, and wildlife trafficking, alongside persistent insecurity and limited institutional capacity. Mount Amel Castles, comprising five castles that trace defensive systems from the Crusades through the end of the 19th century, is suffering heavy damage amid ongoing conflict. The site had already received enhanced protection in November 2024. Sebastia preserves archaeological layers dating from at least the 9th century BCE through the Ottoman period.
The main threat to Sebastia concerns the planned expropriation and creation of the “Samaria” (Shomron) national park, which could divide the property. For the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese, the Committee noted with deepest concern that the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by the Russian Federation prevents Ukraine from ensuring protection. Satellite monitoring through the UNESCO–UNITAR/UNOSAT partnership since 2014 has revealed significant deterioration due to new construction and large-scale excavations. In Paramaribo, the new National Assembly hall and the Yogh parking garage were found to detract from the historic urban landscape. Regarding Tyre, the Committee urged all parties to refrain from actions that could further damage the property.
The Committee commended Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen protection mechanisms for Tyre and recalled its inclusion under the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention. It also called for strengthened international cooperation to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural property from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. For Paramaribo, the Committee acknowledged progress in management planning and fire risk prevention despite the construction concerns. The World Heritage Committee will continue examining additional nominations through July 27. The decisions underscore the growing pressures on heritage sites from armed conflict, development, and environmental change.
