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Fragile Middle East ceasefires are fracturing while unchecked war and natural disasters devastate Sudan and Venezuela.
In Sudan, civil war enters its fourth year with 11.8 million IDPs, or internally displaced people, forced from their homes — more than the population of Berlin. Famine is declared in multiple states. Meanwhile, a massive earthquake in Venezuela has killed nearly a thousand people, compounding an economic collapse where the local currency has lost almost all its value. In the Middle East, fragile truces are failing. Israel and Hezbollah are trading strikes in Lebanon despite a conditional ceasefire, and the US recently shot down Iranian drones over the Strait of Hormuz as broader negotiations stall.
These overlapping crises are driving global food prices higher, with the global food index reaching levels not seen in years. When conflict disrupts the Strait of Hormuz or the Red Sea, shipping delays push up the cost of cooking oil and cereals for import-dependent regions like East Africa. In places like South Sudan and Yemen, this means families face IPC Phase 5 — the highest level on the food-crisis scale from 1 to 5 — simply because they cannot afford basic staples. As monsoon season approaches in Pakistan and Afghanistan, continued cross-border fighting will likely sever critical supply routes and deepen regional hunger.
Watch items
- Iran — Strait of Hormuz blockade impact on Gulf food imports
- Venezuela — Earthquake recovery hindered by collapsed currency and ruined infrastructure
- Pakistan — Cross-border war disrupting critical food routes before monsoon season