Other Gaza-like Conflicts in the World That Need Attention
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Roshan Amiri
- . November 27, 2023
- . Update: November 27, 2023 12:50 pm
While we see reportage about the war in Gaza is on our screens in real time, the same is not for other conflicts around the world. For a year or so, there were similar reports coming in from Ukraine when Russia invaded the eastern European country.
However, it wasn’t the same when the Myanmar military abolished a democratically government in 2021, or the decades-long proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon that has left hundreds of thousands people dead and displaced millions. The war in Ethiopia continues, matters remain unresolved, so does the Islamist insurgencies in The Sahel region – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and sporadic conflicts in Latin America.
But these conflicts seem small in front of what’s been unleashed in Gaza. This territory has long been overlooked. Be it Gaza, Myanmar or Yemen, the human and economic costs of these crisis and disasters are just too much to be compared.
US Benefits from World Conflicts
Being the world’s biggest arms exporter, the United States is reaping benefits from conflicts around the world. The US’s international arms sales are at an all time high. It’s bolstering profits and weapons-making capacity among American suppliers. Surging sales are providing the Biden administration with new opportunities to tie the militaries of other countries closed to the US.
Reports highlighted that even before Israel responded to the October 7 Hamas attack, the combination of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the rising threat of China was spurring a global rush to purchase fighter jets, missiles, tanks, artillery, munitions and other military hardware. The rapid pace of technological change in war-fighting is also contributing to sales. Well-armed countries are being pressured to buy new generations of equipment. Besides Ukraine and Europe, the US is cashing on from allies in Asia and Asia-Pacific region by driving the perception of China as a threat.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, worldwide military spending in 2022 on weapons, personnel and other costs struck $2 trillion – this is the highest level since the end of the Cold War. Worldwide spending on military procurement is expected to hit $241 billion in 2024.
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Conflicts Peaking Humanitarian Crises
Instead of fueling conflicts and wars around the world, world powers can divert the military spending into humanitarian aid, including shelter, rebuilding homes, and providing food and water access to millions of displaced families.
Humanitarian crisis in Yemen is at its worst, 70 percent of the population is reliant on humanitarian aid to survive. 19 million people are food insecure across Yemen only. Same is for millions of people in Somalia and now Sudan and Ethiopia. Similar situation is unfolding in Gaza, going the Syria way.
Conflicts and wars need to end, in an effort to meet the humanitarian aid demands.
