FAQ

The number depends heavily on how "war" is defined. The ICRC estimates approximately 130 armed conflicts worldwide as of 2024. ACLED, which uses a broader definition including lower-intensity political violence, recorded over 204,000 conflict events globally in the 12 months to November 2025.

World On Fire tracks 25 of the most significant war zones and conflict zones — those with the highest casualties, displacement, or escalation risk according to ACLED, ICG, and CFR assessments.

By raw fatalities, Ukraine is the deadliest single conflict — ACLED estimates approximately 78,000 deaths in 2025 alone. However, ACLED's overall Conflict Index ranks Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, and Mexico higher when factoring in civilian danger, geographic spread, and the number of armed groups involved.

Sudan is the deadliest conflict in Africa for civilians, with over 20,000 killed between August 2024 and August 2025 — yet receives a fraction of the international media coverage of Ukraine or Gaza.

Yes. ACLED documents a doubling of global conflict rates since 2020. 2025 saw over 185,000 violent events worldwide — a level ACLED describes as a "new normal." The increase is driven by a combination of state-on-state conflicts (Ukraine, India-Pakistan), resurging jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel and Nigeria, and gang-driven violence in Latin America reaching levels comparable to traditional war zones.

Crucially, long-running conflicts are getting worse, not better. There are fewer incentives to end conflicts and more external actors supplying weapons and support to prolong them.

The UNHCR reports over 117 million forcibly displaced people worldwide as of 2024 — the highest figure ever recorded. Sudan alone has produced the world's largest displacement crisis with 14+ million internally displaced. The DRC has over 7 million displaced, and Gaza has seen near-total displacement of its 2.3 million population.

War zones (red) indicate sustained armed conflict between organized forces with significant casualties. This includes interstate wars, civil wars, and high-intensity insurgencies where violence is widespread and ongoing.

Conflict zones (amber) indicate serious political violence, insurgency, or escalation risk that does not currently meet the threshold of full-scale war. This includes fragile ceasefires, localized insurgencies, and countries with CFR or ICG Tier I risk classifications.

The classification is based on cross-referencing at least two independent sources. It is updated when new data warrants a change.

Because the data supports it. Mexico ranks in ACLED's top 4 globally for conflict severity — cartel organizations field quasi-military capabilities including drones, coordinate territorial control, and generate casualty figures comparable to declared war zones. Brazil ranks in the ACLED top 10 with gang-controlled zones where state authority has effectively collapsed.

The common assumption that "war" only means states fighting states is increasingly at odds with the reality of organized violence in Latin America. ACLED, CFR, and ICG all include these countries in their highest-risk assessments.

The conflict data is updated manually when significant developments occur — new conflicts beginning, major escalations, or meaningful changes in intensity. The current data reflects the situation as of March 2026.

This is not a real-time tracker. For live developments, refer directly to ACLED or ICG CrisisWatch.

Casualty figures are sourced primarily from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), which uses in-country researchers and open-source monitoring. For specific conflicts, figures are cross-referenced with UN OCHA, the Gaza Health Ministry (for Gaza), and ICG CrisisWatch monthly reports.

All figures should be treated as minimum estimates. Actual deaths are likely significantly higher, particularly in conflicts with limited media access such as Sudan, the Sahel, and DRC.

The conflict classifications and descriptions aim to reflect what independent monitoring organizations report. No conflict is excluded or included for political reasons — the selection is based entirely on ACLED, ICG, and CFR assessments.

The satirical comments on each conflict card are personal observations by the author and are clearly labelled as such. They are deliberately equal-opportunity in their cynicism — no government, ideology, or actor is spared.

If you believe a specific classification or description is factually incorrect, please raise it via GitHub with a source reference.

As of March 2026, the Gaza Health Ministry reports over 70,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023, with 171,000+ injured. The ICG CrisisWatch March 2026 update cites the same figure. ACLED separately estimates 21,417 conflict-related deaths between August 2024 and August 2025 alone.

The UN has described the humanitarian situation as catastrophic. Over 70% of Gaza has been declared a no-go zone, and food has been used as an instrument of siege according to multiple UN agency reports.

Yes. From May 7–10, 2025, India and Pakistan fought a brief but intense armed conflict following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 in which 26 civilians were killed. India launched Operation Sindoor — missile strikes on nine targets in Pakistan. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, targeting Indian military installations.

The conflict involved 114+ aircraft in the largest aerial engagement between the two nuclear powers since 1971. A ceasefire was announced on May 10, 2025. The Line of Control in Kashmir remains tense.

CFR's 2026 Preventive Priorities Survey upgraded North Korea to Tier I — the same risk level as Ukraine and Gaza. This reflects Kim Jong-un declaring the nuclear arsenal non-negotiable state doctrine, the deployment of an estimated 10,000+ North Korean troops to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, and ongoing missile and nuclear testing activity.

There is no active war on the Korean Peninsula. The classification reflects escalation risk, not current combat — which is why North Korea appears as a conflict zone (amber) rather than a war zone (red).