Ongoing armed conflicts in 2018; updated November 2018.
Major wars, 10,000 or more deaths in current or past year
Wars, 1,000–9,999 deaths in current or past year
Minor conflicts, 100–999 deaths in current or past year
Skirmishes and clashes, fewer than 100 deaths in current or past year
This list of ongoing armed conflicts is for the sole purpose of identifying present-day conflicts and the death toll associated with each conflict. The guidelines of inclusion are:
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- Armed conflicts consist in the use of armed force between two or more organized armed groups, governmental or non-governmental alike.[1]Interstate, intrastate and non-state armed conflicts are listed.
- Fatality figures include battle-related deaths (military and civilian) as well as civilians intentionally targeted by the parties to an armed conflict. Only direct deaths resulting from violence are included for the current and past year; excess deaths indirectly resulting from famine, disease and disruption of services are included along with violent deaths only in the cumulative fatalities count, when available.
- Listed conflicts are at least 100 cumulative deaths in total and at least 1 death in current or past calendar year.
- Fatality totals may be underestimated or unavailable due to a lack of information. A figure with a plus sign indicates that at least that many people have died (e.g. 455+ indicates that at least 455 people have died) – the actual toll could be higher.
- Location refers to the state(s) where the main violence takes place, not to the warring parties. Italics indicate disputed territories and unrecognized states.
- Only states with ongoing military activity are listed, past states and states where conflicts are no longer active are omitted.
- Military conflicts that no longer produce deaths are not listed here, but can be found in the historical list of wars and the list of wars extended by diplomatic irregularity.
The 5 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 10,000 direct violent deaths in current or past calendar year.
Start of conflict |
Conflict |
Continent |
Location |
Cumulative fatalities |
Fatalities in 2017 |
Fatalities in 2018 |
1978 |
War in Afghanistan
|
Asia |
Afghanistan |
1,240,000–2,000,000[2] |
13,997[n 1] |
35,941[9] |
2003 |
Iraq conflict
|
Asia |
Iraq |
288,000[10][dubious – discuss] |
13,187[10] |
4,360[9] |
2006 |
Mexican Drug War |
North America |
Mexico |
250,547[11][12][13] |
31,174[14] |
13,298[15] |
2011 |
Syrian Civil War
|
Asia |
Syria
Turkey |
185,984–498,593[n 2] |
39,000[26] |
26,524[27] |
2011 |
Yemeni Crisis
|
Asia |
Yemen
Saudi Arabia |
48,194[28] |
16,817[29] |
25,705[9][a] |
The 15 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 1,000 and fewer than 10,000 direct violent deaths in current or past calendar year.
Conflicts causing at least 1,000 deaths in one calendar year are considered wars by the Uppsala Conflict Data Program.[30]
Start of conflict |
Conflict |
Continent |
Location |
Cumulative fatalities |
Fatalities in 2017 |
Fatalities in 2018 |
1948 |
Internal conflict in Myanmar
|
Asia |
Myanmar |
130,000[31]–210,000[32] |
6,700+[n 3] |
171[9] |
1969 |
Moro conflict |
Asia |
Philippines |
120,000[37] |
1,384[n 4] |
268[9] |
1991 |
Somali Civil War
|
Africa |
Somalia
Kenya |
500,000[54] |
5,154[55][b] |
3,952[9][c] |
1998 |
Communal conflicts in Nigeria |
Africa |
Nigeria |
17,156[n 5] |
1,097[55] |
3,020[9] |
2002 |
Insurgency in the Maghreb
|
Africa |
Algeria
Burkina Faso
Libya
Mali
Niger
Tunisia |
17,649[n 6] |
2,835[55][d] |
2,254[9][e] |
2003 |
War in Darfur |
Africa |
Sudan |
178,363[63] |
1,109[55] |
599[9] |
2009 |
Boko Haram insurgency |
Africa |
Nigeria
Cameroon
Niger
Chad |
51,567+[64][65] |
3,110[55][f] |
1,916[9][g] |
2011 |
Libyan Crisis
|
Africa |
Libya |
29,859–42,253[n 7] |
1,564[55] |
727[9] |
2011 |
Sinai insurgency |
Africa |
Egypt |
5,000+[57] |
1,342[55] |
740[9] |
2011 |
South Kordofan conflict |
Africa |
Sudan |
7,000+[57][68] |
1,225[55] |
114[9] |
2011 |
Ethnic violence in South Sudan
|
Africa |
South Sudan
Ethiopia |
50,000–300,000[n 8] |
3,646[55][h] |
1,166[9][i] |
2012 |
Central African Republic conflict |
Africa |
Central African Republic |
8,000+[57] |
1,723[55] |
838[9] |
2012 |
Northern Mali conflict |
Africa |
Mali |
3,300+[61] |
926[55] |
1,285[9] |
2014 |
War in Donbass |
Europe |
Ukraine |
10,303+[72] |
288+[73] |
1,088[74] |
2016 |
Philippine Drug War |
Asia |
Philippines |
12,000[75] |
+7,080[76] |
+886[77][78] |
The 22 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 100 and fewer than 1,000 direct violent deaths in current or past calendar year.
Start of conflict |
Conflict |
Continent |
Location |
Cumulative fatalities |
Fatalities in 2017 |
Fatalities in 2018 |
1947 |
Kashmir conflict (Indo-Pakistani Wars)
|
Asia |
India
Pakistan |
44,538–70,000+[n 9][81] |
358[79] |
298[79] |
1948 |
Insurgency in Balochistan
|
Asia |
Pakistan
Iran |
20,289–20,589+[n 10] |
353[n 11][j] |
377[89][90][91][92][k] |
1963 |
Insurgency in Northeast India
|
Asia |
India |
25,000+[31] |
103[93] |
50[94] |
1964 |
Colombian conflict |
South America |
Colombia
Venezuela |
220,000[95] |
78[96] |
709[n 12][n 13][n 14][l] |
1965 |
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
|
Asia |
Palestine
Israel |
25,000[176] |
89[177] |
263[178] |
1967 |
Naxalite–Maoist insurgency |
Asia |
India |
12,877–14,369+[179][180] |
333[181] |
345[182] |
1969 |
CPP-NPA-NDF rebellion |
Asia |
Philippines |
43,388+[183] |
45[184] |
203[9] |
1984 |
Kurdish–Turkish conflict
|
Asia |
Turkey
Iraq
Syria |
45,000+[n 15] |
698[189][m] |
479[190][9][n] |
1989 |
Sectarian violence in Pakistan |
Asia |
Pakistan |
5,718[191] |
231[191] |
7[191] |
1996 |
Allied Democratic Forces insurgency |
Africa |
Uganda
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
3,353+[n 16] |
221[192][55] |
235[9] |
1999 |
Ituri conflict |
Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
60,000+[193] |
32[55] |
369[9] |
2004 |
Kivu conflict |
Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
11,873+[n 17] |
848[192][195][55] |
943[9] |
2001 |
War in North-West Pakistan |
Asia |
Pakistan |
75000+[n 18] |
514[87] |
154[89] |
2009 |
Insurgency in the North Caucasus |
Europe |
Russia |
4,053–4,084[n 19] |
119[n 20] |
13[214][215][216] |
2009 |
Sudanese nomadic conflicts |
Africa |
Sudan |
5,000+[citation needed] |
116[55] |
18[9] |
2013 |
Insurgency in Egypt |
Africa |
Egypt |
739+[57][217] |
164[55] |
40[9] |
2013 |
Batwa-Luba clashes |
Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
561[57][55] |
154[55] |
|
2015 |
Burundian unrest |
Africa |
Burundi |
1,291[218] |
177[55] |
198[55] |
2016 |
Kamwina Nsapu rebellion |
Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Angola |
772+ |
566+[55][o] |
46[9] |
2016 |
Oromo-Somali clashes |
Africa |
Ethiopia |
1,065+ |
200+[219] |
865[9] |
2017 |
Anglophone Crisis |
Africa |
Cameroon |
852[p] |
200+[citation needed] |
652[9] |
2017 |
Islamist insurgency in Mozambique |
Africa |
Mozambique |
230+[n 21] |
69[n 22] |
161[9] |
The 18 conflicts in the following list have caused at least 1 and fewer than 100 direct violent deaths in current or past calendar year.
Start of conflict |
Conflict |
Continent |
Location |
Cumulative fatalities |
Fatalities in 2017 |
Fatalities in 2018 |
1922 |
Arab separatism in Khuzestan
|
Asia |
Iran |
206–345[citation needed] |
4[231][232][233] |
10[234] |
1946 |
Kurdish separatism in Iran |
Asia |
Iran |
13,100–35,000[n 23] |
20[n 24] |
62–66[242] |
1960 |
South Thailand insurgency |
Asia |
Thailand |
6,706+[243][184] |
44[184] |
65[9] |
1963 |
West Papua conflict |
Asia |
Indonesia |
150,000–400,000[n 25] |
3[n 26] |
11–13[251][252][253] |
1975 |
Cabinda War |
Africa |
Angola |
30,000[254] |
53[55] |
4[9] |
1979 |
Qatif conflict
|
Asia |
Saudi Arabia |
216–278[citation needed] |
12–37[255] |
5[9] |
1980 |
Internal conflict in Peru |
South America |
Peru |
70,000[256] |
16[n 27] |
4[266] |
1982 |
Casamance conflict |
Africa |
Senegal |
5,000[267] |
0[55] |
4[9] |
1987 |
LRA insurgency |
Africa |
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Central African Republic |
100,000+[268] |
70[55][q] |
14[9][r] |
1988 |
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict |
Asia |
Armenia
Azerbaijan |
27,287+[n 28] |
27[n 29] |
4[n 30] |
1989 |
Georgian–Ossetian conflict |
Asia |
Georgia |
1,500+ |
0 |
1[290] |
1960 |
Xinjiang conflict |
Asia |
China |
860+[176] |
11[291][292] |
|
1995 |
Second Afar insurgency |
Africa |
Ethiopia |
70,000+[293] |
79[55][294] |
|
1995 |
Ogaden insurgency |
Africa |
Ethiopia |
1,400–11,000[295] |
27[55] |
21[9] |
1998 |
Dissident Irish Republican campaign |
Europe |
United Kingdom
Republic of Ireland |
145[296] |
0 |
1[296] |
2004 |
Conflict in the Niger Delta
|
Africa |
Nigeria |
2,300+[297][298] |
3[55] |
|
2005 |
Insurgency in Paraguay |
South America |
Paraguay |
67 |
2[299][300] |
1[301] |
2013 |
RENAMO insurgency |
Africa |
Mozambique |
328+[57][302] |
50[55] |