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Three wars converge on the Strait of Hormuz as famine spreads across Africa
The Strait of Hormuz is running at roughly 15 transits daily versus 110 pre-war after Iran struck commercial shipping on July 6-7, and the ceasefire Trump declared 'over' on July 10 has not been restored. Iraq's food security is now directly affected — FAO flagged Hormuz closure impacts on Gulf food imports in June. Simultaneously, confirmed famine persists in Sudan's El Fasher and Kadugli, 33.7 million Sudanese need aid, and M23 drone strikes killed 18 civilians in eastern DR Congo on July 3. Lebanon's ceasefire is paper-only — 608 killed since the truce, IDF expanding beyond the Yellow Line. A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia on August 10, with 5.2 million exposed to severe shaking.
The Hormuz disruption and global food prices at a 131 index for July compound a devastating picture: 26.6 million Congolese and 18.3 million Yemenis face acute food insecurity while aid pipelines shrink. Yemen's humanitarian response plan is severely underfunded as internal Houthi-government fighting shattered a four-year truce on July 3. Currency collapse in Iran, Sudan, Cuba, and Yemen makes food imports unaffordable even where supply exists. The European drought — spanning from Spain to Ukraine — and ongoing drought across the Horn of Africa threaten harvests that could deepen food crises through 2027. Romania shut its only nuclear plant as Danube levels fell, a preview of climate-energy collisions.
Watch items
- Iran — Hormuz shipping collapse choking Gulf food import routes
- Sudan — RSF ground assault on El Obeid amid confirmed famine
- Lebanon — IDF expansion beyond Yellow Line, Hezbollah rejects truce