The global nuclear detonations set off a Nuclear Winter by the end of 2000. The Nuclear Winter severely limited many nations abilities to grow crops and feed its people, as well as the ability to fly planes. After many nations had established contact with one another, the food supplies began running out globally, leading to tensions between formerly friendly nations and increased tensions and riots within individual nations. Communications were generally fixed by around 2003, but many nations were still "in the dark" as to what was happening around the world, such as the West African Republic, Kazakhstan, Japan, Vietnam, and Australia.