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Sudan, Gaza and South Sudan top a hunger map darkened by closed sea lanes and drought
Three wars are pushing people into famine at the same time. Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces remain at war, with 33.7 million people needing assistance (OCHA, 2026 HNRP) and genocide findings against the RSF from February 2026. In Gaza, the October 2025 ceasefire exists mostly on paper, with Israeli strikes continuing and MSF reporting the dismantling of the means of survival (MSF, 2026). South Sudan's civil war has displaced over 304,000 people since December 2025, and drought grips the Horn of Africa and the Sahel (GDACS, as of 6 October 2026).
The Iran war closes the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic, and Iran's currency has collapsed; Gulf food and fuel imports to East Africa cost more and arrive later. Yemen shows the chain effect: 184,000 people newly displaced (IOM, October 2026) and 18.3 million acutely short of food (OCHA, 2026 HNRP), while the Houthi front stays in a fragile pause. Ethiopia's rebel withdrawal from the Tigray regional capital (BBC, 5 October 2026) may open aid routes into Amhara and Tigray. Aid agencies should pre-position food along the Ethiopia and Yemen corridors now, and press for the Gaza crossings to reopen fully.
Watch items
- Sudan — RSF siege of El Obeid starving another city's civilians
- Ethiopia — Rebel withdrawal could open aid routes into Tigray
- Iran — Hormuz closure raising food prices across East Africa