THEAnd sequences of the wars that flow every day from the TV commentary in our homes, are now clear and recognizable images: The injured children of Gazathe gosaged buildings of Kiev, the columns of smoke that obscure the sky, the sirens that resonate in the besieged cities. They are scenarios that move and indignant And that monopolize, with reason, the attention of the media. But it is really important to remember that they are not the only ones, unfortunately. Also elsewhere, equally brutal but invisible conflicts are fought: forgotten wars, far from the cameras, which continue to break and consume lives in silence.
Forgotten wars: the horror numbers
The picture that emerges from the analysis of theUppsala conflict data programone of the most authoritative international projects for the collection and analysis of data on armed conflicts, is chilling: In 2024 61 active conflicts were recorded who have seen the involvement of at least one state, ithe highest data from the end of the Second World War. A record that tragically marks our era. Behind this figure, there is an even more dramatic reality: 233,000 people have lost their lives in episodes of armed violence in the last year. An average of 638 victims per day, one every one hundred and twenty seconds. Even now, somewhere in the world, someone is dying in a conflict that we probably don’t even know existence.
The global exodus of the invisibles
The consequences of this widespread violence, they also measure themselves in the displaces: over 123 million people have been forced to abandon their homes due to persecutions, armed conflicts, human rights violations and threats to public security. To launch the alarm is Coopi – International cooperationMilanese humanitarian organization who has just celebrated its 60 years of field activities. During the tenth edition of “Coopi Cascina Open”, the president Claudio Ceravolo, outlined a merciless picture: «There are 305 million people who need humanitarian and protection all over the worldbut often remain unheard, if not completely forgotten ».
Historical record of conflicts active in 2024: 233 thousand deaths in episodes of armed violence, 123 million displaced people. But only a few tragedies end up in the newspapers (Getty Images)
The other wars do not hurt bad
The words of Ceravolo resonate as a warning: “In addition to the very serious conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, there are many other areas of the planet where violence and humanitarian crises are very intense, but remain totally in the shadows”. The director of the organization, Ennio Miccoli, adds another element that makes you worry more: there reduction of public funds intended for humanitarian aid. In 2024 a significant contraction occurred and the negative trend continued in 2025, promising himself to worrying proportions also for 2026 “.
Sudan: Invisible hell
The most emblematic example of these “invisible wars”, It is located in Southern and Eastern Africa, Where about 85 million people in need of humanitarian help livealmost a third of the world total. A figure that alone exceeds the entire population of many European countries. At the center of this continental drama is Sudanwhich represents 35% of the regional total and currently lives what is called the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The numbers of Sudan are dizzying: at the end of August 2025 there were almost 10 million internal displaced people. Over 30 million people, More than half of the population, they need humanitarian assistance. Among these, 51.4% are children, a whole generation raised in war and despair.
Women in line outside a hybrid distribution site to collect food, money and energy bars for children in Maban, on August 20, 2025. Over 200,000 people in four refugee camps in Maban, in South Sudan, had to face a serious lack of help after the main financial partner retired at the beginning of 2025 and others limited the support. The cuts led to the abandonment of unpaid staff, to the interruption of drug deliveries from March 2025 and to the volunteering of the remaining staff, who sent ad hoc requests to NGOs for essential resources. (Photo by Guy Peterson / AFP)
Violence without borders: the impact on women and children
Chiara Zaccone, Coopi leader in Sudan, tells from within this tragedy: «From the beginning of the conflict Coopi has never left the country. We have adapted our response, keeping the flexibility necessary to reach people in situations of extreme need ». His words are loaded with pain when describing the impact of violence on the most vulnerable: The conflict has mainly affected women and children. The number of cases of sexual violence reported is very high: The stories of the people we witness are heartbreaking, full of violence and trauma that we do not know if they can ever be completely remedied ». In 2024, Coopi reached almost 150,000 people, through 10 projects focused on food safety, hygiene conditions, water supply, protection and humanitarian assistance.
Syria: the children of the war
Ten months after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government, too Syria remains an open chapter of collective suffering. There are still 16.7 million people who need humanitarian assistance and protection, while more than half of the population lives in conditions of food insecurity. But the most chilling data concerns children: more than 75% of the 10.5 million Syrian minors were born during the 14 years of civil war.
A stolen generation
An entire generation that has known only displacement, violence and devastation. Almost 50% of children and young people were excluded from the school, both within Syria and in the countries hosting refugees. Davide Prata, Coopi’s head of Damascus, describes the current situation: «About 70% of the population depends on humanitarian assistance. The economic crisis and the increase in prices aggravated poverty and reduced access to essential goods and services ».
Democratic Republic of the Congo: the endless crisis
Volunteers of the Red Cross of the Democratic Republic of the Congo gather around the coffins containing the remains of the victims of an attack during a funeral ceremony in Ntoyo, on September 10, 2025 A group founded by former Ugandese rebels who sworn loyalty to the Islamic state in 2019, attacked the village of Ntoyo in the province of North Kivu while the residents participated in a funeral, reported the sources. (Photo of Seros Muyisa / AFP) (Photo of Seros Muyisa / AFP via Getty Images)
In the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the escalation of the reinforced conflict continues to cause mass displaces in an already dramatic picture. Over 21 million people need immediate support in terms of protection, access to foodclean water, medical care and basic necessities. The nutritional situation reaches alarming levels: About 25.6 million people face food insecurityof which 4.5 million are children under five years of age who need urgent nutritional treatments. The impact on education is devastating: Overall, more than 1.6 million minors in the Democratic Republic of the Eastern Congo do not have access to it.
There are no “minor” conflicts
All the wars are heartbreaking, all conflicts are carried behind torn bodies and death. The numbers are not statistics: behind each percentage, There are faces, stories, broken dreams of people who share with us the same humanity. The “forgotten” wars are no less atrocious than those that occupy the front pages of the newspapers. The despair of a Syrian mother has the same weight as that of any other mother in the world.
There must be no forgotten wars
If the global community cannot stop wars, it is at least his duty not to forget any. Why When you stop watching, When you look away, When a war is allowed to become “invisible”millions of people who deserve attention, help, solidarity are being condemned to oblivion. And, in an increasingly connected world, no “forgotten” war should exist. Each conflict should shake our collective consciousness, each victim should have a name. Because peace is not a privilege of a few, but a right of all.