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Fragile Middle East ceasefires fracture as uncontained wars in Sudan and Myanmar drive record global displacement.

In Lebanon, a fragile truce is collapsing as Israeli forces push past their security zone, killing over 600 people since the ceasefire began. In Sudan, 11.8 million people are now IDPs, or internally displaced people, forced from their homes by a four-year civil war—a displaced population larger than Sweden. In Myanmar, the military junta controls just a fifth of the country as rebel alliances advance on the major city of Mandalay. Meanwhile, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern Philippines this week, affecting 3.5 million people across the region.

These overlapping conflicts directly threaten global food and energy supplies. The US and Iran are negotiating a 60-day ceasefire extension to clear naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, but disputes over who controls the waterway remain unresolved. If these talks fail, blocked shipping routes will drive up global cooking oil and cereal prices, worsening hunger in import-dependent regions like East Africa. Furthermore, as international attention fractures across multiple warzones, humanitarian funding for underfunded crises like South Sudan and Haiti continues to dry up. Expect food insecurity to accelerate in import-reliant nations if the Hormuz standoff persists.

Watch items

• Iran — Hormuz dispute threatening Gulf states food import routes
• Lebanon — Israeli ground expansion displacing civilians beyond Litani River
• Myanmar — Rebel advance on Mandalay risking massive urban displacement