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War and famine tighten their grip from Sudan to Yemen while Hormuz attacks choke food imports

Yemen's war is killing more civilians again, and children are paying. UNFPA warned this week that 147,000 women and girls in the city of Taiz face grave risk as fighting escalates (UNFPA, 16 Oct 2026). Combat deaths in Yemen reached 1,644 over the past twelve months (UCDP, to Oct 2026), up sharply from 376 the year before. In Sudan, 33.7 million people need assistance this year (OCHA, 2026) after the Rapid Support Forces took El Fasher and the UN found genocide against non-Arab communities there (UN Fact-Finding Mission, Feb 2026). South Sudan, Gaza and Haiti face the same pattern of war plus hunger.

These crises are now linked through the sea. Attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz have reached a record level, and oil exports are slowing (BBC, 17 Oct 2026). The strait carries food and fuel that East African and Gulf states import, so every escalation raises prices for people already in famine-scale hunger in Sudan, Yemen and Somalia. Donors should fund the Yemen and Sudan appeals now, before the strait and the war in Iran push import costs beyond what agencies can cover. Neighbouring governments should keep Red Sea food routes open and insured.

Watch items

• Iran — A wider Hormuz blockade could cut Gulf food imports
• Yemen — Taiz fighting could trap 147,000 women and girls
• Sudan — RSF attacks could push Darfur towns into famine