Invest in peace, not in wars
Every war results in brutal consequences. The gruesome scenes, especially the recent deadly events in the Middle East, overshadow more positive long-term global trends concerning peace.
As history demonstrates, wars and conflicts have consistently been an enduring aspect of human existence. Regardless of the causes or the parties involved, every war is a tempest of destruction that devastates everything in its wake.
Populations living in the midst of conflict bear the brunt of its impact as wars directly destroy essential infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, homes, businesses and other national resources valued in the billions.
Yet the most devastating impact of wars and conflict is the exacerbation of poverty through the disruption of livelihoods.
"We are witnessing an unravelling of the protection of civilians and a decline in respect for international humanitarian law, Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, said during a Security Council meeting on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict on May 25.
Fletcher stated that the number of forcibly displaced individuals has reached a new high of over 122 million, with the majority displaced within their own countries. He noted that reports of enforced disappearances, torture, inhumane treatment and other forms of trauma were widespread.
In her address to the UN, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement President Mirjana Spoljaric said, "your state may not be at war today. Your family may be far from frontlines, but tides turn, new conflicts erupt and if you do not defend the rules of war today, you are accepting a world where wars are fought with increasing barbarity and disregard for our shared humanity."
In its review report released at the end of December, Unicef stated that the impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024.
'The percentage of the world's children living in conflict zones has doubled — from approximately 10 per cent in the 1990s to nearly 19 per cent today', the report stated.
Looking at the news alone, it is challenging to determine whether more or fewer people are dying as a result of war compared to the past. One must rely on carefully collected statistics to enable meaningful comparisons over time.
According to the Armed Conflict Survey 2024, the level of conflict worldwide has doubled over the past five years, driven by wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar and other regions.
The report reveals that the war in the Palestine territory has witnessed horrific violence with the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) military campaign causing massive destruction of infrastructure including residential buildings, health facilities, energy and water facilities, and schools, among others; and the internal displacement of the entire Palestinian population.
'Increasing levels of violence by the IDF and Israeli settlers have also taken place in the West Bank. Regionally, the war has had dramatic ramifications, notably resulting in an increase in direct confrontations between Israel and Iran (and its allies), as discussed above', the report points out.
Whatever the reason for the war, both implicit and explicit nuclear threats have been the default stance of states possessing nuclear weapons for decades. Such threats are fundamental to the concept of deterrence, 'If you attack, we will annihilate your society or your most critical military assets.'
Instead of perpetuating rhetoric against each warring nation, it is essential to unite and engage in negotiations. Unfortunately, even after the loss of countless precious lives and unimaginable destruction, our leaders have been unable to bring an end to these inhumane conflicts.
Preventing conflicts requires the same level of investment that nations allocate to military expenditures. All countries must be prepared to contribute effectively to the global peacebuilding efforts.
Our leaders must do everything in their power to ensure that this new era of geopolitics is not primarily remembered for violence. They should take peace more seriously than ever before.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
11 hours ago
- Observer
Invest in peace, not in wars
Every war results in brutal consequences. The gruesome scenes, especially the recent deadly events in the Middle East, overshadow more positive long-term global trends concerning peace. As history demonstrates, wars and conflicts have consistently been an enduring aspect of human existence. Regardless of the causes or the parties involved, every war is a tempest of destruction that devastates everything in its wake. Populations living in the midst of conflict bear the brunt of its impact as wars directly destroy essential infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, homes, businesses and other national resources valued in the billions. Yet the most devastating impact of wars and conflict is the exacerbation of poverty through the disruption of livelihoods. "We are witnessing an unravelling of the protection of civilians and a decline in respect for international humanitarian law, Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, said during a Security Council meeting on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict on May 25. Fletcher stated that the number of forcibly displaced individuals has reached a new high of over 122 million, with the majority displaced within their own countries. He noted that reports of enforced disappearances, torture, inhumane treatment and other forms of trauma were widespread. In her address to the UN, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement President Mirjana Spoljaric said, "your state may not be at war today. Your family may be far from frontlines, but tides turn, new conflicts erupt and if you do not defend the rules of war today, you are accepting a world where wars are fought with increasing barbarity and disregard for our shared humanity." In its review report released at the end of December, Unicef stated that the impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024. 'The percentage of the world's children living in conflict zones has doubled — from approximately 10 per cent in the 1990s to nearly 19 per cent today', the report stated. Looking at the news alone, it is challenging to determine whether more or fewer people are dying as a result of war compared to the past. One must rely on carefully collected statistics to enable meaningful comparisons over time. According to the Armed Conflict Survey 2024, the level of conflict worldwide has doubled over the past five years, driven by wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar and other regions. The report reveals that the war in the Palestine territory has witnessed horrific violence with the Israel Defence Forces' (IDF) military campaign causing massive destruction of infrastructure including residential buildings, health facilities, energy and water facilities, and schools, among others; and the internal displacement of the entire Palestinian population. 'Increasing levels of violence by the IDF and Israeli settlers have also taken place in the West Bank. Regionally, the war has had dramatic ramifications, notably resulting in an increase in direct confrontations between Israel and Iran (and its allies), as discussed above', the report points out. Whatever the reason for the war, both implicit and explicit nuclear threats have been the default stance of states possessing nuclear weapons for decades. Such threats are fundamental to the concept of deterrence, 'If you attack, we will annihilate your society or your most critical military assets.' Instead of perpetuating rhetoric against each warring nation, it is essential to unite and engage in negotiations. Unfortunately, even after the loss of countless precious lives and unimaginable destruction, our leaders have been unable to bring an end to these inhumane conflicts. Preventing conflicts requires the same level of investment that nations allocate to military expenditures. All countries must be prepared to contribute effectively to the global peacebuilding efforts. Our leaders must do everything in their power to ensure that this new era of geopolitics is not primarily remembered for violence. They should take peace more seriously than ever before.
Observer
11 hours ago
- Observer
Iran accuses G7 of siding with Israel with de-escalation call
Iran accused the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday of siding with Israel in its call for 'de-escalation' in their intensifying conflict, now in its fifth day. 'The G7 must give up its one-sided rhetoric and tackle the real source of the escalation — Israel's aggression,' foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said. 'Israel has launched an unprovoked war of aggression against Iran... in violation of... the UN Charter,' the spokesman said. 'Hundreds of innocent people have been killed, our public and state facilities and people's homes are brutally demolished. 'Iran is defending itself against a cruel aggression. Does Iran really have any other choice?' he asked. At a G7 summit in Canada on Monday, leaders including US President Donald Trump had called for 'de-escalation' of the conflict while stressing Israel had the right to defend itself. In a concluding statement, the G7 leaders said they were committed to 'peace and stability' in the Middle East. 'We affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel,' said the statement. 'Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror,' it said. 'We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. 'We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East,' the G7 statement added. US President Donald Trump said he wants a 'real end' to the conflict between Israel and Iran, not just a ceasefire, as the arch foes traded fire on Tuesday. The escalating clashes saw Israeli warplanes target military sites in Iran, killing a senior commander and drawing retaliatory missile fire from Iran. Explosions were heard over Tel Aviv shortly after air raid sirens sounded in many parts of Israel following missile launches from Iran, the Israeli military said. The air force was 'operating to intercept and strike where necessary to eliminate the threat', the military said. About 20 minutes later, it said people could leave shelters as police reported debris fell in the Tel Aviv area and the fire brigade said it was tackling a blaze in the surrounding area. The Israeli military said it killed senior Iranian commander Ali Shadmani in an overnight strike on a 'command centre in the heart of Tehran', just four days after his predecessor, Golam Ali Rashid, was killed in a similar Israeli attack. It also said it targeted multiple missile and drone sites in west Iran, including infrastructure, launchers and storage facilities, with black-and-white footage showing some of them exploding. Despite mounting calls to de-escalate, neither side has backed off from the missile blitz that began on Friday, when Israel launched an unprecedented aerial campaign targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities. A new wave of Israeli strikes on Tehran — including a dramatic hit on state television headquarters that the broadcaster said killed three people — prompted both sides to activate missile defence systems overnight. A cyberattack on Tuesday crippled Sepah Bank, one of Iran's main state-owned banks, the Fars news agency reported. Trump said on Tuesday that he wanted a 'complete give-up' by Iran in return for peace. 'I'm not looking for a ceasefire, we're looking at better than a ceasefire,' he told reporters on the plane home after cutting short his attendance at a Group of Seven summit in Canada. Trump again warned Iran against targeting US troops and assets in the Middle East, saying 'we'll come down so hard, it'd be gloves off'. Trump had earlier issued an extraordinary warning on his Truth Social platform, saying: 'Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' Trump has repeatedly declined to say if the United States would participate in Israeli military action, although he has said Washington was not involved in initial strikes. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the United States was deploying 'additional capabilities' to the Middle East. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia on Monday, scrapping a planned Vietnam port call, amid reports it was heading to the region. After decades of enmity and a prolonged shadow war, Israel launched its surprise air campaign last week, saying it aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons — an ambition Tehran denies. Iran has responded with multiple missile salvos. The Revolutionary Guards vowed on Monday night the attacks would continue 'without interruption until dawn'. State television said the Tel Aviv headquarters of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency was among the Guards' targets. The escalation has derailed nuclear talks and stoked fears of broader conflict. At least 24 people have been killed in Israel and hundreds wounded, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Iran said on Sunday that Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. It has not issued an updated toll since then. Netanyahu said Israel was 'changing the face of the Middle East, and that can lead to radical changes inside Iran itself'. Iran's ISNA news agency quoted a medical official saying all doctors and nurses had their leave cancelled and were ordered to remain at medical centres. International calls for calm have mounted. The United States and Iran had engaged in several rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in recent weeks, but Iran said after the start of Israel's campaign that it would not negotiate while under attack. — AFP Evacuees from Israel arrive in Slovakia and Czech Republic TEL AVIV: Flights carrying evacuees from Israel have arrived in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, authorities said on Tuesday, putting the two countries among the first to bring citizens home to flee the conflict between Iran and Israel. Another Central European country, Poland, said on Tuesday that the evacuation of Poles from Israel was planned for Wednesday and Thursday. Slovak authorities said the first evacuation flight with 73 people, including 25 Slovak tourists and five family members of Slovak diplomats working in Tel Aviv, had arrived in the capital Bratislava late on Monday. Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said Slovakia had also helped bring citizens of other countries to Europe, including 15 Poles, mainly children, 14 Czechs, nine Austrians, two Slovenians and one citizen each of Estonia, Spain and Malaysia. 'Our partners are contacting us and we are preparing another flight on Tuesday, which should include citizens of the Slovak Republic, as well as citizens of the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Latvia and France,' Blanar said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Slovakia had helped evacuate seven Hungarians. Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said that a flight with 66 people evacuated from Israel had landed near Prague. Poland said on Monday that it was organising the evacuation of around 200 of its citizens from Israel via Jordan. On Tuesday, the Polish foreign ministry said it planned to use two planes from Egypt and Jordan for the evacuation, the first of which would take off on Wednesday. 'The plane from Sharm El Sheikh will take off first, the one from Amman will take off second, most likely on Thursday morning,' said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Henryka Moscicka-Dendys. 'We want to service this connection with a military plane, because we see that there are not as many people willing to evacuate as it might seem.' — Reuters Qatar monitors radiation levels as Israel hits nuclear sites DOHA: Qatar has been monitoring radiation levels in the Gulf as Israeli air strikes pound Iranian nuclear facilities, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. 'We are monitoring this on a daily basis,' foreign ministry spokesman Majed al Ansari told a news conference. 'We have nothing to be concerned about right now, but obviously prolonged escalation will have unpredictable consequences.' Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign against Iran's nuclear infrastructure on Friday, triggering deadly missile exchanges between the arch foes, which are now in their fifth day. 'We have to emphasise, when we are talking about the waters of the Gulf, it's the main source of water for all of us here in the region,' Ansari said. 'The international community has to make it very clear that any targeting of nuclear facilities, any targeting of fuel or energy facilities in this region, would have ramifications that are unknown to us in the Gulf.' Iran has a nuclear power plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast, though its uranium enrichment facilities, which have been targeted by Israel, lie hundreds of kilometres (miles) inland. The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Friday it had been informed by Iran that the Bushehr plant had not been targeted. On Saturday, Israel struck a major Iranian gas facility on the Gulf coast serving the South Pars gas field, which is shared with Qatar. Ansari said Qatar's own facilities in the field were 'secure' but condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure as 'reckless'. Journalist heard a series of loud explosions in north Tehran on Tuesday, as Israel kept up its strikes on Iran's military and nuclear facilities for a fifth day. It was not immediately clear whether the blasts were the result of incoming Israeli strikes or Iranian air defence fire. — AFP
Times of Oman
18 hours ago
- Times of Oman
With all eyes on Israel-Iran conflict, Gazans continue to endure bombardment, blockade
Gaza: As the military confrontation between Israel and Iran escalates, residents of the Gaza Strip watch anxiously, fearing the renewed tensions could further deteriorate their already dire humanitarian situation and push their longstanding plight even further from the global spotlight. In Gaza City, Ibrahim al-Faryani, a Palestinian Authority employee in his 40s, closely follows reports of cross-border strikes. "Now, global attention has shifted to Tehran and Tel Aviv, and Gaza has fallen off the media radar," al-Faryani said. "This loss of international focus may allow Israel to escalate violations here without scrutiny or accountability." Since hostilities erupted between Israel and Iran on June 13, residents have reported a sharp drop in humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, citing continued closures of border crossings as a key obstacle. "The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly," said Mohammed Al-Emawi, a university student from Gaza's Shuja'iyya neighborhood. "No aid is entering. Hospitals are running out of basic supplies, and yet we receive little international coverage." He warned that global preoccupation with the Iran-Israel conflict could overshadow the protracted crisis in Gaza, which has already endured months of conflict and blockade. Amid widespread anxiety, some see the broader conflict as a potential opening for Gaza to gain international attention -- and possibly inclusion in any future regional agreements. "Perhaps this war will reshape the region," said Salem Subaih, another Gaza City resident. "If a major international agreement emerges, we hope Gaza will be included." Adel Samara, a political analyst based in the West Bank, said the Iran-Israel conflict has a dual impact on Gaza. "On one hand, Gaza suffers from reduced media attention and worsening humanitarian conditions. On the other hand, this war might offer an opportunity to include Gaza in any future regional arrangement, especially if global powers become involved in de-escalation efforts," Samara told Xinhua. He added that Palestinian factions are watching the situation closely, aware that shifting regional dynamics increasingly shape Gaza's position. A Hamas official, speaking to Xinhua on condition of anonymity, said the confrontation underscores the interconnected nature of regional security and politics. "Gaza is not isolated from its surroundings. We are monitoring developments and managing the situation carefully to avoid unnecessary escalation," the official said, adding that "the resistance is taking a rational approach, focused on protecting the Palestinian people." Regarding ongoing talks on a prisoner exchange with Israel, the official noted that negotiations continue under international mediation but acknowledged that the latest tensions have slowed progress. "Given the current situation, it is only natural that the pace and level of communication are affected," he said. Amid these shifting dynamics, many Gazans are simply calling for an end to the violence and improvements to their daily lives. "It is time for these wars to stop," said Muhannad Abu Rabie, a Gaza City resident. "We want to live in safety. We want electricity, water, medicine -- basic human rights. We are tired of being collateral damage in conflicts we have no control over."
