It is well known that there are several conflicts in countries across the world. Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, etc., are countries that the media has been covering heavily in recent times. However, there are multiple other countries experiencing political, economic, or humanitarian turmoil that are greatly affecting the lives of their populations. Some of these conflicts have been going on for several years while some have developed in recent years. 

Somalia 

Somalia is facing extreme problems due to drought, and is experiencing the current worst hunger situation in the world. Food production in the country is close to non-existent, and with the lack of ability to import food from other countries, has caused thousands of people to die from hunger. Previously, most people fed themselves by growing their own food, and got money by selling surplus crops. However, since there has been no rain for a large amount of time, people cannot feed themselves or make money to buy food. This situation is simple, yet complex to handle. All it would take is a large sum of money to feed everyone, but if no economy can be established, the country would not be able to support itself and become self-sufficient. 

Yemen

Yemen has been experiencing a civil war since 2014; a conflict against the Yemeni government and a rebel group. The Yemeni government was overthrown by Iran backed rebels, who then began fighting a coalition led by Saudi Arabia. The war has been a stalemate for years, and since efforts to come to a truce have failed, and the war will likely continue. Due to the effects of the war, Yemen has been facing what is regarded as one of the largest humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Approximately 80% of the population is in poverty.  In addition, there are practically no health services, so untreated injuries and diseases are extremely common. 

Syria 

Syria is another Middle Eastern country that has been struggling with peace for many years. The country’s economy is in shambles, with no businesses or industries being able to survive due to the conflict. In addition, approximately 75% of the population does not have access to adequate resources resources. Syria is another country that falls victim to the proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with both countries supporting opposite sides in the conflict; making it difficult to reach peace. 

Afghanistan 

Many know that Afghanistan is not in a good position, however, the true severity of the country’s situation is not as widely recognized. The Taliban regained control in August 2021, and the quality of life and safety for the population of Afghanistan has drastically reduced. Before the Taliban came back, Afghanistan’s economy was heavily reliant on trade as well as foreign aid from other nations. However, many of these countries have since imposed trade restrictions since they do not want to do business with the Taliban. This had disastrous effects on the financial system, taking it from bad to worse since there is very little money circulating the economy. In addition, women’s rights in Afghanistan are some of the worst in the world; with women not being able to have an education, drive, or leave the house without a male relative. 

Final Thoughts 

It is unfortunate that some crises get more media attention than others, as lives of people in one country are not more important than in another country. If awareness is not spread about political crises, there will be less donations or charity organizations that are focused on helping the issue. Also, if these conflicts were more widely talked about and known, there would likely be pressure put on the governments of large, wealthy countries, to do something significant to improve the state that these countries are in. Many of the root causes of these conflicts are not easily fixable; but what can be fixed is the attitude and awareness that the general population has towards these issues, as that is the first step to administering change. 

Other crises not mentioned: 

Myanmar 

South Sudan 

Burkina Faso 

Ethiopia 

Armenia 

Haiti 

Venezula 

Democratic Republic of the Congo 

Works Cited

“Food Assistance Fact Sheet – Yemen | Food Assistance | U.S. Agency for International Development.” USAID, https://www.usaid.gov/food-assistance/yemen. Accessed 30 October 2023.

Robinson, Kali, and Steven A. Cook. “Yemen’s Tragedy: War, Stalemate, and Suffering.” Council on Foreign Relations, 1 May 2023, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/yemen-crisis. Accessed 30 October 2023.

Rodríguez, Pilar Gianni, and Jaime Camacho García. “7 crises to keep in mind in 2023.” Language selection | European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, 18 January 2023, https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/news-stories/stories/7-crises-keep-mind-2023_en. Accessed 7 November 2023.

“The top 10 crises the world can’t ignore in 2023.” International Rescue Committee, 14 December 2022, https://www.rescue.org/article/top-10-crises-world-cant-ignore-2023. Accessed 30 October 2023.