9 Current Conflicts in the World Today and Their Effects on Global Hunger

Conflict ravages countries in countless ways. And it’s the number one cause of hunger in the world, tearing families, communities, infrastructure, food systems and entire regions apart.

Let’s talk about nine of the most devastating conflicts going on in the world today and how they’re pushing an unprecedented number of people into extreme hunger. We’ll also see what the World Food Programme (WFP) is doing to fight back against the rising tide of hunger in the toughest places on the planet. 

1) Gaza

The escalation of conflict in Gaza has created a humanitarian catastrophe. Across the Strip, 3 in 4 people don’t know where their next meal will come from. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced. 

Unlike other conflicts, people in Gaza have nowhere to flee and are trapped with limited resources. Many Gazans are completely dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. The recent ceasefire in October 2025 has allowed WFP to scale up its humanitarian response. However, conflict is still ongoing, leaving many families caught in a hunger crisis.  

WFP has been in Gaza since 1991 and is there today providing much-needed food. While access into Gaza has been difficult, WFP has been able to enter during brief pauses in conflict. Since the start of the October ceasefire, the agency has scaled up to serve an average of 1 million people each month with lifesaving food. 

Learn more about Gaza and donate today to help send food.

2) Ukraine

The conflict in Ukraine has created a displacement crisis not seen in Europe since World War II. Today, 3.7 million people are internally displaced, and nearly 6 million have fled to find refuge abroad.

However, Ukrainians sadly are not unfamiliar with conflict. In 2014, Russia invaded and annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. The move started an eight-year conflict that exploded when Russia then invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Four years of conflict have resulted in nearly 15,000 civilians killed. Last year was the deadliest for civilians since the conflict began. 

WFP worked in Ukraine from 2014-2018, providing cash and food vouchers to more than 1 million people. In 2022, the agency returned to Ukraine and launched emergency operations in response to the conflict. For four years, WFP has reached families on the frontlines with lifesaving food assistance. They are the logistics backbone of the humanitarian response in the region.  

Learn more about WFP’s work in Ukraine and donate today to help support families in conflict.

3) Sudan

Sudan has experienced its share of internal conflict. Most recently, in April of 2023, fighting between two rival military groups erupted in the capital city of Khartoum and has since spread throughout the country. Economic, health and food systems have completely collapsed. 

Hunger and disease are rampant, and humanitarian access to the worst conflict zones remains difficult. Ongoing fighting has created the world’s largest displacement crisis with more than 11.5 million people forced from their homes. 

Sudan was already facing a hunger crisis due to poverty and climate-related disasters, but the conflict has plunged millions more into extreme hunger. Due to rising food costs and damaged infrastructure from the conflict, more than 19 million people are now facing acute food insecurity. Famine is also confirmed in two conflict-hit towns largely cut off from humanitarian assistance: El Fasher in North Darfur and Kadugli in Kordofan.  

WFP has worked in Sudan since 1963. During this crisis, it reaches an average of 4 million people each month with emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance. It’s also helping Sudanese refugees in neighboring countries including South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Central African Republic and Chad. 

Learn more about Sudan and donate to help send food to hungry families.

4) Haiti

Haiti has a long history of internal conflict. Compounded by recurring earthquakes and hurricanes, conflict has made Haiti one of the worst hunger crises in the world.  

In 2022, conflict gripped the country once again when local gangs began fighting each other for control. The conflict has escalated over past years with civilians caught in the crossfire. Fighting has overtaken the capital of Port-au-Prince and expanded throughout the country. More than 16,000 people have been killed since the escalation in conflict, and 1.4 million people have been displaced. More than 5.5 million people are extremely hungry. The lack of security has made it difficult for humanitarian aid to reach people.  

WFP has worked in Haiti since 1969 and continues to deliver lifesaving food through this crisis. In 2025, they reached 2.2 million people despite insecurity and funding challenges. They also managed to pull thousands of people back from the brink of famine.  

Learn more about Haiti and donate to help send food to hungry families.

5) The Sahel

The Sahel is a region in central Africa that includes Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Between 2020 and 2023, there were coups in all three countries. Conflict persists, driving hundreds of thousands of refugees across borders to seek safety in coastal countries. An estimated 3.5 million people remain trapped in besieged areas and are cut off from assistance.  

This region is also vulnerable to extreme weather events like floods and droughts. Climate extremes and instability have created a hunger crisis in the region. WFP is delivering emergency food aid to people in the Sahel along with projects that help farmers restore land that was destroyed by extreme weather. 

Learn more about the Sahel and donate to help send food to hungry families.

6) Myanmar

In 2017, conflict forced nearly 1 million of the Rohingya to flee Myanmar – creating one of the largest refugee crises in the world. They fled into neighboring Bangladesh and settled in Cox’s Bazaar, now the world’s largest refugee camp. Reforms took place in the following years that put Myanmar on a path to democracy, but it abruptly ended in 2021 when a coup returned the country to military rule. This prompted resistance from multiple groups, ushering in a new era of conflict. There was a brief ceasefire following an earthquake in March 2025, but conflict resumed later that year. 

In Myanmar, 3.6 million people have been displaced by conflict. About a quarter of the population – 12.4 million people – are extremely hungry. Despite security challenges due to the conflict, WFP reached 1 million people in 2025. This year, they aim to reach 1.5 million people. 

Learn more about the Myanmar and donate to help send food to hungry families.

7) Syria

Fifteen years of protracted conflict has left Syria facing one of the world’s most severe and complex humanitarian crises. It started as part of the wider Arab Spring protests in 2011, escalating each year with humanitarian atrocities and country-wide devastation. More than 300,000 civilians have been killed, up to 7 million people are internally displaced and more than 5 million refugees have fled. 

The conflict ended in December 2024 when a military offensive captured the capital of Aleppo and ousted President Bashar al-Assad. There was a brief pause in fighting as a transition government took place. However, in March 2025 fighting resurfaced amongst various groups in different parts of the country and continues to this day. 

Some 9.1 million people — more than half the population — are hungry and don’t know where their next meal will come from. More than 7 million people remain internally displaced.  

WFP remains operational across the country and reaches more than 1.5 million people each month with emergency food assistance, school meals, nutrition support and livelihoods programs.  

Learn more about hunger in Syria and donate to help save lives across the globe.

8) Yemen

Yemen has experienced over a decade of devastating conflict. In 2014, fighting began between the Houthis and the government. It quickly escalated into a regional conflict involving multiple groups and countries. A truce was signed in 2022, but fighting still continues throughout the country. 

Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and more than 4.8 million people internally displaced. Conflict has created a prolonged humanitarian crisis – more than 17 million people are extremely hungry and desperately need food. 

The World Food Programme is on the ground providing food for families caught in the conflict. In 2025, the agency reached 8.6 million people with lifesaving assistance.  

9) Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The DRC has suffered decades of conflict. The most recent eruption began in 2021 between armed groups and the government. More groups were soon pulled in, along with regional forces. 

Civilian casualties are in the thousands. More than 5 million people are internally displaced, half women and girls. Nearly 25 million people are hungry – a number set to rise this year as conflict surges, especially in the eastern provinces. The World Food Programme continues to deliver lifesaving food despite dangerous conditions. Last year, they reached 5 million people with food aid. 

Food Security: It’s the Key to Peace and Stability

Hunger fuels conflict and conflict fuels hunger. These nine countries are stark examples of this vicious cycle. It’s why WFP was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for their work to combat hunger and promote peace in conflict-affected areas.  

If we want to fight for peace, we need to fight to solve hunger. And WFP can’t do it without your help. 

Donate to help families caught in conflict zones.

Learn more about how conflict drives hunger.