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Rabat – A new report by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) paints a grim picture of global conflict, revealing a surge in battlefield deaths to the highest level in three decades.
The study found that while the overall number of conflict fatalities dipped slightly in 2023 compared to the previous year, the total number of deaths linked to armed conflicts, including civilians, has risen dramatically since 2021.
This worrying trend is attributed to several major conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the brutal civil war in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, and the devastating Israeli bombing of Gaza.
Despite a ceasefire in Tigray leading to a decrease in battlefield deaths there, 2023 still saw a staggering 122,000 conflict-related fatalities. The war in Ukraine alone claimed over 71,000 lives, while the Gaza conflict in the latter half of the year resulted in an estimated 23,000 deaths in a short period.
The report also highlights a concerning rise in the complexity and scale of global conflict. PRIO researchers documented 59 active conflict zones across 34 countries, with several nations grappling with multiple ongoing conflicts simultaneously.
“Violence in the world is at an all-time high,” stated Siri Aas Rustad, report author and PRIO research professor. “The data suggests a more intricate conflict landscape, with a growing number of actors involved in conflicts within the same country.”
Rustad emphasized the increasingly interwoven nature of these conflicts, citing the recent examples of Ukraine, Gaza, and Ethiopia, which have become entangled in international power struggles.
This complexity creates significant challenges for humanitarian organizations attempting to navigate the volatile landscape and provide assistance to civilians caught in the crossfire.
The report further identifies Africa as the region with the most state-based conflicts, with 28 active zones. The continent has witnessed a nearly twofold increase in conflicts over the past decade, resulting in over 330,000 battlefield deaths since 2021.
Notably, the Americas now hold the dubious distinction of harboring the most non-state conflicts, with 36 documented zones. Mexico remains the most violent country in this category, with almost 14,000 conflict-related deaths.
“The emergence of new, extremely violent conflicts with increasing frequency is a constant source of worry,” concluded Rustad.
Despite a slight decrease in state-based conflict deaths from 2022 to 2023, the past year remains the third most violent since 1989, emphasizing the urgent need for renewed global peace efforts.
