We are living in an age where whispers of “World War III” seem to resurface with an alarming regularity. Each new conflict leaves the world asking: another one?
From Gaza to Ukraine, and from Yemen to Sudan and into the heart of Africa, deadly conflicts are dominating headlines with waves of humanitarian crises.
We break down five of the world’s most urgent and complex conflicts: how they began, where they stand now, and why they matter to all of us.
Israel-Palestine War
The roots of the Israel-Palestine conflict go back to the early 20th century, when the British government issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917, promising Jews a homeland in Palestine that had a majority Arab population.
Between 1918 and 1947 Jewish immigration increased from 6% to 33%, alarming Palestinians. This led to the Palestinian revolt in 1936.
Zionist organizations campaigned for a Jewish homeland, leading to more armed clashes between them and Palestinian groups.
In 1947, the UN proposed partitioning Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with the communities holding 55% and 45% of the land, respectively.
The century-long conflict between Israel and Palestine started with Jewish immigration in 1917
Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
In 1967, Israel captured Gaza and placed its population under military rule. In 2005, Israel withdrew its settlers and troops from Gaza but retained control over its airspace, borders, and coastline.
Hamas won the Palestinian elections in 2006 and took full control of Gaza in 2007.
Since then, several wars have erupted, in 2008–09, 2012, 2014, and 2021.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, under which more than 50,000 Palestinians have died, the majority being women and children, according to the UN’s OCHA.
Amnesty International and UN have called Israel’s actions a genocide.
Attempts to stop the war in Gaza have failed at the UN repeatedly. The United States has vetoed five ceasefire resolutions, citing concerns over language not adequately condemning Hamas' actions or calling for the release of hostages.
Russia-Ukraine War
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but the conflict’s roots stretch back centuries.
In the 18th century, Ukraine was absorbed into the Russian Empire, which imposed Russification policies like banning the Ukrainian language.
After a brief independence post the 1917 Revolution, Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union by 1922. Millions died in the man-made Holodomor famine, and Joseph Stalin relocated Russians to eastern Ukraine, altering its demographics.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine became an independent nation.
Western Ukraine sought closer ties with Western institutions like the EU and NATO, which were perceived by Russia as a direct threat to its regional influence.
Ukraine’s push toward the EU and NATO was seen by Russia as a threat to its regional influence
In 2014, Russia took control of Crimea, a part of Ukraine, and helped rebels in eastern Ukraine fight against the Ukrainian government in the Donbas region.
Despite not being a member, Ukraine grew closer to NATO and became an Enhanced Opportunities Partner in 2020. Russia did not take this well, and Russian President Vladimir Putin called Ukraine’s potential NATO membership a “hostile act towards Russia.”
Before the 2022 invasion, Russia demanded that the U.S. and NATO halt alliance expansion, withdraw U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe, and seek Russian approval for future deployments. NATO refused to shut its doors to new members.
Image credits: Institute for the Study of War
Since the invasion began in 2022, the war has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties and widespread destruction.
Western nations have responded by sending billions in aid and weapons to Ukraine, while Russia faces severe sanctions. Despite ongoing international efforts, peace talks remain stalled, and the conflict shows no clear end in sight.
Sudan Civil War
The Sudan Civil War, dubbed as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis by the UN, has led to over 150,000 deaths, and more than 12 million people being displaced, according to Bloomberg.
In 1989, Omar al-Bashir took power in a coup and ruled for 30 years. His regime was marked by violence—especially in Darfur, where Arab militias known as Janjaweed were accused of genocide against non-Arab communities in 2003.
After months of protests in 2019, the army removed Bashir. Civilians demanded democracy, leading to a joint civilian-military government that soon collapsed.
In October 2021, the army took full control again in a coup led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He and his deputy, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka ‘Hemedti’), leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), shared power. But by 2023, tensions over Sudan’s future leadership split their alliance.
On April 15, 2023, a full-scale war broke out between the army and the RSF.
Sudan’s Civil War is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with over 150,000 deaths
Image credits: Osman Bakir/Getty Images
The RSF, formed in 2013, came from the old Janjaweed militias. Over time, it became a powerful paramilitary group involved in conflicts in Darfur, Yemen, and Libya. It has been accused of war crimes, including killing civilians and using rape as a weapon.
As of 2025, the RSF controls most of Darfur and parts of southern Sudan. The army controls the north, east, and the Red Sea port of Port Sudan.
Fighting in El Fasher, Darfur’s last army-held city, has caused mass deaths and hunger. Aid is blocked, hospitals are overwhelmed, and the UN warns of ethnic cleansing.
Peace efforts have failed and the two generals refuse to give up power.
Yemen Conflict
Yemen has faced more than a decade of conflict that started as a local power struggle but grew into a regional crisis. The war began in 2014 soon after the Arab Spring Uprising of 2011, when Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa. The group, known as Ansar Allah, demanded lower fuel prices and a new government.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia and a coalition of Gulf states launched a military campaign to restore Hadi’s government. The war became a battleground for regional powers, with Iran supporting the Houthis and the U.S. backing the Saudi-led coalition.
Fighting divided the country. The Houthis held the north, while southern forces—backed by the UAE—formed the Southern Transitional Council (STC). This group now controls the southern city of Aden and nearby areas. Yemen remains split between rival governments and militias.
Yemen faces a decade-long local power struggle that grew into a regional crisis
Image credits: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
The conflict soon created a humanitarian crisis. Airstrikes, blockades, and economic collapse left millions without food, medicine, or clean water. Between 2015 and 2022, the UN reported nearly 377,000 deaths, most from indirect causes like hunger and disease.
In late 2023, the war took a global turn. After Israel’s war on Gaza began, the Houthis launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea, aiming to pressure Israel.
Global shipping companies stopped using the Red Sea route, forcing cargo to travel around Africa. This raised transport costs and disrupted global trade.
The U.S. and U.K. responded with airstrikes in January 2024, but the Houthis kept attacking. They said they would not stop until Israel ended its war on Gaza.
Image credits: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
Though large-scale fighting in Yemen has slowed since a UN-led ceasefire in 2022, peace talks have made little progress.
Democratic Republic of Congo & Rwanda Conflict
The conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda has become one of Africa’s most serious current crises. The M23 rebel group has taken control of important cities in eastern Congo.
The cities of Goma and Bukavu are rich in minerals like gold and coltan, and are key hubs for smuggling on the border of Rwanda.
Fighting has killed thousands of people and forced over half a million to flee their homes.
M23 says it is protecting Tutsis, a group that has faced violence in the past. The roots of the conflict go back to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when millions fled to Congo, bringing ethnic tension with them.
The Rwandan army is reportedly in control of the M23 rebel group, currently in control of some cities in the DRC
Image credits: Hugh Kinsella Cunningham/Getty Images
M23 is led by Sultani Makenga, a Congolese Tutsi with ties to the Rwandan military. The UN maintains that the Rwandan army is in “de facto control of M23 operations,” and details how M23 recruits are trained under Rwandan supervision.
The DRC government, led by President Félix Tshisekedi, has called on young men to join the army to fight back. But so far, M23 continues to win ground.
Talks for peace have started, with help from Qatar, but the violence has not ended.