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Sudan tops a record-wide crisis map as Hormuz war reshapes food and fuel routes

Sudan is the world's most severe compound crisis: the SAF-RSF civil war, a UN-determined genocide (Feb 2026) and starvation used as a weapon have left 33.7 million people needing assistance in 2026, with the RSF's new siege of El Obeid adding civilian tolls. Iran's war with the US-Israel coalition continues with the Strait of Hormuz running roughly 15 transits daily against 110 pre-war, after the July 10 ceasefire collapse. In Yemen, renewed Houthi-government combat since July has triggered fresh displacement on top of 18.3 million acutely food-insecure people (OCHA, 2026 HNRP). Ukraine logged 15,765 battle deaths in the trailing 12 months (UCDP).

The connective tissue is chokepoints: a militarized Hormuz plus a Red Sea attack pause that could break at any time both squeeze the trade lanes East Africa and the Gulf depend on, while FAO's August 2026 food index sits elevated at 133.3 with oils at 196.9. Countries already at war — Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Mali, Haiti, Myanmar — have the least capacity to absorb imported inflation, and several face simultaneous drought. The G7's demand this week that Iran stop arming the Houthis, and UK refuelling support for Saudi jets, signal the Yemen front is being re-armed diplomatically and militarily rather than defused.

Watch items

• Sudan — RSF siege of El Obeid displacing civilian population
• Iran — Hormuz transit collapse choking Gulf food imports
• Yemen — Houthi re-escalation driving new displacement surge