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Warring factions in Sudan and the Middle East weaponize starvation and economic collapse as diplomacy stalls.

In Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces control El Fasher after a siege that created 7.4 million IDPs, meaning internally displaced people, which is more than the population of Denmark. The United Nations confirmed the militia committed genocide and used starvation as a weapon. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Afghanistan are fighting an active border war, with recent airstrikes killing civilians in Kabul. In the Middle East, a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran is faltering, while Israel and Hezbollah trade strikes in Lebanon. Without new peace agreements, these conflicts will likely deepen into the autumn harvest season.

These wars are destroying local economies and driving extreme hunger. In Yemen and Sudan, currencies have collapsed, making imported food unaffordable even when available. Global cooking oil and cereal prices remain high, pushing basic goods out of reach for families in Nigeria and Haiti. When local markets fail and armed groups block aid, communities face IPC Phase 5, the top tier of the 1-5 food-crisis scale where starvation and death occur. As climate stress worsens later this year, these broken economies will lack the funds to import emergency supplies.

Watch items

• Iran — Hormuz naval disputes threatening Gulf food import shipping routes.
• Venezuela — Earthquake recovery stalled by hyperinflation and fractured interim government.
• Somalia — Militant advances risking Mogadishu supply lines during political transition.