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Sudan famine and Gaza aid collapse compound Middle East ceasefire fragility and global food insecurity.

Sudan’s civil war enters its fourth year with catastrophic consequences. The Rapid Support Forces control El Fasher following a 2025 siege, where a UN mission confirmed genocide and the use of starvation as a weapon. Over 11.8 million people are displaced, including 7.4 million internally displaced people (IDPs) forced from their homes. Famine, classified as IPC Phase 5 (the highest food-crisis scale), is declared in multiple states. In Gaza, a fragile 2025 ceasefire is breaking down. Recent reports document civilian casualties and severe aid restrictions, with only half of expected food trucks allowed to unload. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Philippines on June 7, affecting 3.5 million people.

These overlapping emergencies are driving a severe global food crisis. The global food price index remains elevated, straining vulnerable populations worldwide. In Sudan, the weaponization of food has triggered famine, pushing millions toward starvation. The breakdown of aid flows in Gaza mirrors this, risking a return to famine conditions. Furthermore, the fragile truce in the Middle East, including strained ceasefires in Lebanon and a framework deal in Iran, keeps global shipping routes like the Strait of Hormuz vulnerable to sudden disruption. Any escalation there would further spike global cereal and oil prices.

Watch items

• Sudan — RSF blockade worsens famine in El Fasher region.
• Palestine — Aid restrictions at crossings risk returning famine conditions.
• Iran — Strait of Hormuz minesweeping impacts regional shipping routes.