How many wars are avoided, and whether the trend of fewer deaths in them continues, depends on our own actions. The number of deaths in conflicts has recently increased in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, highlighting that the future of these trends is uncertain.
In 2023, conflict-related deaths worldwide reached around 162,000, with Ukraine and Gaza causing nearly three-quarters of that total. Annual figures vary: for instance, there were 83,000 in Ukraine and 33,000 in Palestine up to April 2024
The conflict in Ukraine (2022–mid‑2025) alone has resulted in staggering military deaths: approximately 250,000 Russians, plus 60,000–100,000 Ukrainian soldiers, with total Russian military casualties perhaps reaching 1 million by summer 2025.
For other conflicts since 2001 (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, etc.), direct deaths are estimated around 900,000, with indirect deaths (due to famine, disease, displacement, infrastructure breakdown, etc.) making the total 4.5–4.7 million
Hunger and undernutrition
About 9 million people die annually from hunger and hunger-related diseases—nine million per year means roughly 45 million people over five years. Around 3 million children under age five die each year due to malnutrition, contributing to infectious diseases and other complications. In 2023, approximately 733 million people (about 1 in 11 globally) faced hunger, 152 million more than in 2019
In the last five years, the world has seen rapid and tragic increases in hunger and child mortality: Hundreds of millions more are going hungry. Millions are dying, especially children, on a scale of thousands per day. Conflict continues to kill, including thousands of children annually.
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