If you flip on the TV or scroll through social media for five minutes, it feels like the whole world is on fire. You see the smoke over Gaza, the trenches in Ukraine, and the maps of the Red Sea. It’s overwhelming. Most people asking is there any wars going on are usually looking for a tally—a way to make sense of the chaos. But the truth is a bit more complicated than just a list of names and dates. Right now, we are living through a period of "cascading crises," according to many geopolitical analysts at places like the Council on Foreign Relations. It isn’t just one or two big fights; it’s a web of interconnected messes that affect your gas prices, your cereal costs, and obviously, the lives of millions of people you’ll never meet.
War has changed. It isn’t always two armies meeting in a field with flags. Sometimes it's a drone hitting a power plant. Sometimes it's a "frozen conflict" that suddenly thaws out and catches everyone off guard.
The Heavy Hitters: Ukraine and Gaza
You can't talk about whether there are wars going on without starting with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's been going on since February 2022, but the roots go back to 2014. It’s a massive, grinding war of attrition. We are talking about hundreds of miles of front lines where soldiers are literally living in mud, dodging FPV drones that cost less than a smartphone. It’s a weird mix of World War I trench warfare and futuristic sci-fi tech. Experts like Michael Kofman have pointed out that this isn't just a regional spat; it’s a fundamental challenge to how borders work in Europe. If you're wondering why your energy bills spiked a year ago or why NATO is suddenly a household name again, this is why.
Then there’s the Middle East. The Israel-Hamas war, triggered by the October 7 attacks, has basically reshaped the entire region’s stability. It’s not just restricted to Gaza anymore. You’ve got the Houthis in Yemen firing missiles at cargo ships in the Red Sea, which is why your Amazon package might be delayed or more expensive. You’ve got skirmishes on the Lebanon border with Hezbollah. It’s a giant tinderbox. When people ask is there any wars going on, they often see these two on the news, but these are really just the tip of the iceberg.
The Forgotten Conflicts: Sudan and Myanmar
Honestly, it’s kind of tragic how little we talk about Sudan. If you want to see a humanitarian disaster on a scale that’s hard to wrap your brain around, look there. Since April 2023, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been tearing the country apart. This isn’t about "bad guys vs. good guys." It’s a power struggle between two generals that has displaced millions. The UN has warned about famine and ethnic cleansing, particularly in the Darfur region. It’s brutal, it’s fast, and because it doesn’t involve "Western interests" in the same way Ukraine does, it barely makes the evening news.
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And what about Myanmar?
Most people remember the coup in 2021. They remember the protests. But did you know there is a full-blown civil war happening there right now? A coalition of ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy fighters is actually making significant gains against the military junta. They are taking over towns and military bases. It’s a fragmented, complex war that is fundamentally changing Southeast Asia, yet it stays under the radar for most of us in the West.
Why Does It Feel Like Everything Is Breaking?
There’s a term academics use called "multipolarity." Basically, the days of one or two superpowers keeping everyone in line are over. Now, you have middle powers—countries like Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and India—all flexing their muscles. This creates a lot of friction.
- Internal instability: Many of these wars aren't between countries but inside them.
- Resource scarcity: Fighting over water or arable land is becoming a real thing as the climate shifts.
- The "Shadow" wars: Cyber warfare and economic sabotage happen every day, even if no guns are fired.
The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) is one of the best sources for this. They track "state-based armed conflicts," and the numbers have been trending upward for a while. It’s not just your imagination; the world actually is more violent right now than it was twenty years ago.
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The Human Cost You Don't See on Maps
Statistics are boring. They make you go numb. But when you look at the actual reality of is there any wars going on, you have to look at the "hidden" casualties. For every person killed by a bullet, several more die because the hospitals ran out of medicine or the water pumps stopped working. In places like Ethiopia’s Tigray region—where a peace deal was signed but tensions remain incredibly high—the long-term damage to the food system is staggering. People aren't just dying in the war; they are dying because the war broke the world around them.
We also have to talk about the "perpetual" wars. Look at eastern Congo (DRC). There are dozens of rebel groups fighting over mineral rights—the very minerals used in the battery of the device you’re using to read this. It’s been "going on" for decades in various forms. It’s a cycle of violence that feels impossible to break because it’s so profitable for the people at the top.
Is Peace Even Possible?
It sounds cheesy, but peace usually happens when both sides realize they have more to lose by fighting than by talking. The problem right now is that many of these conflicts are being "fed" by outside powers. When a local war becomes a proxy war for bigger nations, it lasts way longer. Think of it like a fire—if people keep throwing logs on it from the outside, it doesn’t matter how much rain falls locally.
What You Can Actually Do
Feeling helpless is the standard reaction to all this. You’re one person. You can't stop a T-90 tank or broker a ceasefire in the Levant. But staying informed is actually a huge part of the solution. Misinformation is a weapon of war now. When you see a "viral" clip of a battle, check the source. Is it real? Is it from three years ago?
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Actionable Next Steps for Staying Informed:
- Diversify your feed. If you only get news from one source, you’re getting one angle. Check out the BBC World Service, Al Jazeera (for a different regional perspective), and Reuters.
- Look at the maps. Sites like Liveuamap provide real-time updates on front lines. It helps you visualize where the "action" is versus where the "talking" is happening.
- Support humanitarian aid. If a specific conflict hits you hard, look for groups like Doctors Without Borders or the International Committee of the Red Cross. They are usually the ones on the ground when everyone else has fled.
- Stop Doomscrolling. Seriously. Setting a timer for 15 minutes to check the news is plenty. You don't need to see every graphic video to understand that a war is bad.
The answer to is there any wars going on is a resounding yes. It’s a messy, loud, and often heartbreaking yes. From the big geopolitical shifts in Europe to the quiet, devastating civil wars in Africa and Asia, the world is in a state of flux. Understanding the "why" behind these fights won't stop them, but it keeps us from being blindsided by the consequences.
The most important thing to remember is that these aren't just "events" on a screen. They are choices made by people. And as long as there are people working for de-escalation and diplomacy—behind the scenes where the cameras don't go—there is a path out of the chaos. It’s just usually a very long, very difficult walk.
To stay truly updated on global shifts, follow the weekly briefings from the International Crisis Group. They provide deep-dive reports on "Crisis Watch" areas that haven't hit the mainstream news yet, giving you a head start on understanding where the next major conflict might erupt.