Not only Ukraine and Israel: 183 ongoing regional conflicts in 2023
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
In 2023, there have been 183 regional and local conflicts in the world, the highest number in the last three decades. This is stated in the annual study of armed conflicts by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, reports Bloomberg.
The study defines “intractability as the defining feature of the contemporary global conflict landscape.” Nonstate armed groups, of which Hamas in Gaza is only the most immediately conspicuous, play a baleful role. In many places, these forces are supported by disruptive major powers, notably Russia and Iran.
The IISS survey concludes that any prospect of a resolution of the struggle must hinge on Kyiv “obtaining security guarantees that ensure Ukraine’s future territorial integrity against external aggression.”
There are border clashes worldwide, of which Russia’s attempt to overwhelm Ukraine is only the most devastating. Azerbaijan has seized the Nagorno-Karabakh region, precipitating the flight of more than 100,000 of its Armenian inhabitants.
Tensions persist between Russia and Georgia and are worse than ever in modern times between Algeria and Morocco. In Pakistan, domestic terrorism has escalated, and stresses in relations with India’s anti-Muslim government are running dangerously high.
The study reports: “The accelerating climate crisis continues to act as a multiplier of both root causes of conflict and institutional weaknesses in fragile countries.”
The intensity of conflict has risen year on year, with fatalities increasing by 14% and violent events by 28% in the latest survey.
The authors describe a world “dominated by increasingly intractable conflicts and armed violence amid a proliferation of actors, complex and overlapping motives, global influences and accelerating climate change.”
