The poorest country in the Middle East is ranked as the fifth least peaceful nation in the world in 2017. Yemen began facing the full wrath of Saudi Arabia—armed with weapons from the U.S.—in 2015, and the crushing results have been largely ignored by the media.

The motive: The on-going conflict in Yemen is a result of a proxy war between two rivaling superpowers in the Middle East—Iran and Saudi Arabia. Instead of fighting directly, the countries have learned a lesson from the U.S., and are fighting for dominant control of other nations.

The result: After just two years, the death toll from the conflict surpassed 10,000 in January with over 40,000 wounded. The harsh conditions have also left over 2.2 million malnourished and 7 million people "not knowing where their next meal will come from and in desperate need of food assistance."

South Sudan

The fourth country on the list is one that is often overlooked on the examples of countries the U.S. has attempted to "nation build" over the years. The U.S. pushed for South Sudan to secede from Sudan in 2011, and supported the effort with both military power and economic sanctions.

The motive: Sudan has the largest oil reserves in all of Africa, and 75 percent of that oil is located in South Sudan. The U.S. reportedly interfered to keep China from having access to the oil, after it signed contracts with the original Sudanese government.