African Countries Facing 50 Armed Conflicts, Accounting for 40% of Global Warfare
African Countries Facing 50 Armed Conflicts, Accounting for 40% of Global Warfare
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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says more than 50 armed conflicts are currently taking place across Africa, representing about 40% of all active conflicts worldwide.
Millions have been displaced, and severe funding shortages for aid organizations are worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.
Gilles Carbonnier, Vice President of the ICRC, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that humanitarian crises on the continent are escalating rapidly. He noted that the number of active armed conflicts in Africa has increased by 45% since 2020 — a deeply alarming trend.
These conflicts have forced more than 35 million people from their homes across the continent, making up nearly half of the world’s displaced population.
The humanitarian crisis is being compounded by sharp cuts in international aid funding. Carbonnier said reduced support from the United States, OECD member states, and the European Union has forced many relief agencies to scale back or even halt operations.
Citing a study published last July, he warned that if funding continues to decline, more than 14 million additional deaths could occur by 2030 — one-third of them children.
Sudan is currently the epicenter of Africa’s humanitarian emergency. The war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), ongoing since April 2023, has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 12 million people. The UN has called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Sudan’s health system has nearly collapsed, raising fears of the resurgence of diseases such as cholera and dengue fever.
Carbonnier also expressed concern over intensifying violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the M23 armed group has seized control of key cities including Goma and Bukavu, creating extremely harsh conditions for civilians.
He stressed that the crisis in Africa requires urgent international attention, warning that without immediate financial and humanitarian support, millions remain at risk of hunger, disease, and death — and the global community bears a grave responsibility to act.
