Not just Ukraine or Israel: 183 regional conflicts continue in the world

There won't be a world war yet, but there will be more violence in the world there has been more violence/Stijn Swinnen, Unsplash

In 2023, 183 regional and local conflicts continue in the world. Unfortunately, this is the highest figure in the last three decades and these conflicts will not end quickly.

Bloomberg journalists have reviewed armed conflict research published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Channel 24 conveys the most important points from this review.

Violence in the world is only increasing, and in many regions the war is chronic

The report highlights “intractability as a defining feature of the contemporary global conflict landscape.” Non-state armed groups, of which Hamas is only the most prominent in Gaza, play a sinister role. In many places, these forces are supported by destructive large states, in particular Russia and Iran, the material says.

It has been suggested thatThe world is not yet threatened with a great war. However, tensions between superpowers are growing, including between the United States and China.

What hot spots are on the world map

This, of course, is Ukraine and Israel, where there are wars. But an armed conflict is also possible in Taiwan, and a war between Israel and the Gaza Strip could spread to the entire Middle East. Also, relations between Russia and Georgia are tense, and relations between Algeria and Morocco are called very bad. “Domestic terrorism has intensified in Pakistan, and tensions with the anti-Muslim Indian government have reached dangerously high levels,” the article notes.

What the numbers say about wars in the world

The number of people killed in conflicts increased by 14%, and the number of “violent events” by 28%. More and more people with different motives are becoming involved in conflicts. A tangle of intractable questions becomes entangled.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has 459 armed groups whose activities are of humanitarian concern, and under their full or partial control there are 195 million people. Four-fifths of the groups have enough influence at the local or regional level to levy taxes and provide certain government services. The power of recognized national governments does not extend to large areas of the world's landmass, the study's authors state.

In different countries, the reasons for conflicts are different:

• There are authoritarian states in the world – Russia, China, Iran, Turkey and the Gulf countries. They disregard the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. A gap has generally emerged between Russia and the West.
• In many countries of South and Central America, criminal gangs trade drugs and influence the government.
• The regime of Bashar al-Assad, supported by Russia, is still in Syria.
• In Iraq, there are religious contradictions between Sunnis and Shiites.

Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan – these countries are also called hot spots on the world map.

What will happen next to our planet

As long as there is tension between the superpowers, the UN is ineffective, they conclude authors of the study. But, unfortunately, the forecasts are disappointing: the world will remain on a powder keg, and conflicts will continue for a long time.