War is prevalent on the television and social media at the moment given the conflict in Ukraine. But there are lots of wars going on all over the world that do not get anywhere near the same level of publicity. This piece aims to examine countries that are currently facing humanitarian crisis or are torn apart as direct consequence of war.
Yemen
Yemen is in a state of humanitarian crisis due to facing seven years of war. Ordinary Yemenis are still holding out hope that there will be peace soon. The conflict is between the internationally recognized government – backed by a Saudi-led military coalition – and Houthi rebels supported by Iran. Unfortunately, the war continues due to a lack of diplomatic process. Despite a commitment to work towards a de-escalation of fighting in Taiz under the Stockholm Agreement, which was voluntarily signed by both sides on 13th December 2018, both parties have failed to open the promised humanitarian corridor. As a result, the civilian death toll keeps rising.
The conflict-driven economic collapse will continue to deepen within the country. According to the International rescue committee there are 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid within Yemen. Additionally, there are 15.6 million people living in extreme poverty and 16.1 million people facing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity in 2022. The country’s humanitarian crisis is said to be among the worst in the world, due to the effects of widespread hunger, disease, and attacks on civilians.
On 21st January 2022 the seven-year-old war in Yemen intensified again, when airstrikes by the Saudi-led military coalition on northern Yemen killed at least 70 people and knocked out the entire country’s internet.
Libya
Libya has been incredibly unstable since a NATO-backed uprising removed long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Libya was split between warring factions in the east and the west in 2014. In 2021, the transfer of power to a new interim Government of National Unity (GNU) began to raise hopes for peace and the reunification of the country and its institutions. Currently, a new power struggle within the country has raised fears of further instability, including the return of parallel administrations and the risk of an armed confrontation.
After the tentative peace in 2020, Libya once again finds itself in a troubling position. The first signs of serious trouble occurred late last year when presidential elections scheduled for December 24 were postponed. President Dabaiba, who is the head of the interim government, refused to step aside, pledging to hold on to power until elections take place. There was also a failure to reach a consensus on election laws or even on who should be eligible to run.
Despite the lack of an election, Bashagha held a press conference as the new president on 10th February 2022 in Tripoli. He was appointed through a dubious parliamentary procedure driven by those who were responsible for the breakdown of the electoral process. However, Dabaiba still believes that he is the prime minster of Libya. Instead of progressing towards a legitimate government that can finally stabilise the country, Libyans are once again hostages to a showdown between two self-serving centres of power. This situation threatens to generate a new wave of violence in the capital and beyond
Somalia
Somalia is in a state of humanitarian crisis as there has been a civil war within the country since 1991. This places the country within the top five for humanitarian aid due to the severity of the situation.
Delays to the presidential election originally scheduled to take place in late 2020 have added to current political tensions in Somalia, leading to clashes with opposition forces as President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed’s term ended in early 2021. As these elections moved into 2022, there is a significant risk of additional disputes and armed confrontations that will cause more violence against civilians and displacement.
The international rescue committee estimates that 7.7 million people need humanitarian aid within Somalia. Additionally, 2.9 million people have been internally displaced within the country and 3.5 million people are facing crisis levels of food insecurity in 2022. Drought conditions are expected to worsen during the next year, which will have a significant negative impact on the country and its people.
On February 24th, 2022, America conducted a drone strike on Somalia against Al Shabab militants. This is the first military action against the Qaeda affiliate in East Africa since August 2021. The American strike followed a Shabab attack on allied Somali forces in Duduble region of Somalia. It is believed that no civilians were harmed by the drone strike.
Afghanistan
2021 brought about a close to Afghanistan’s decades-long history of war. However unfortunately another is starting. Since the Taliban’s seizure of power in August 2021, the possibility of a humanitarian crisis within Afghanistan has loomed. UN data suggests millions of Afghan children could starve as a direct consequence.
After the Taliban took control of the country on August 15, 2021, they rolled back women’s rights advances and media freedom, which were the foremost achievements of the post-2001 reconstruction effort. Additionally, many secondary schools for girls remain closed and women are largely prohibited from working in jobs outside of teaching and health care. Rights for women are becoming virtually non-existent.
Mass starvation has also become an issue and the country is unable to seek humanitarian assistance as countries are unwilling to help while the Taliban are in power.
Syria
Syria has been fighting a civil war since 2011 and, as a result, is in high need of humanitarian support. The UN suggest that more than 100,000 people are missing or forcibly disappeared as a direct result of the civil war. They also suggest that Syria’s cities and infrastructure have been destroyed. Currently the poverty rate in Syria is incredibly high at 90 percent and 14.6 million people in Syria depend on humanitarian aid.
The Syrian civilian population currently continues to face violence across the country, from bombardment in the northwest, north and northeast, to targeted killings, unlawful detention and torture. There has been an inflation rate of 140 per cent in January 2022 within Syria and further issues are likely to occur due to difficulties in obtaining crucial wheat imports from Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. The state has already begun to ration due to issues with obtaining and providing food.
Syria is currently teetering on the verge of collapse and the desperation within the country is unlikely to change anytime soon. More Syrian civilians are in need now than when the conflict began in 2011.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s war broke out in November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray to topple the Tigray People’s Liberation Front; a political response he claims was a direct response to the rebel group’s attacks on army camps. The war has spread to neighbouring regions, killed thousands and, according to the UN and the United States, driven hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation.
Being in a state of war for 16 months has caused a humanitarian crisis to erupt within Ethiopia. Civilians have been displaced as a direct result of the war and there have been widespread reports of gender-based violence, human rights abuses, the loss of shelter and the loss of access to basic services, causing critical levels of food insecurity.
There were negotiations on the topic of a cease fire between the two conflicting parties in January 2022. But ultimately the decision was not to pursue a ceasefire. The fighting resumed shortly afterwards. The conflict that is currently occurring has been blamed for the latest delays in aid delivery to Tigray along what is considered the only open land route for humanitarian deliveries.
In February, the war shifted when the Tigray forces retreated into their northern region under pressure from a drone-supported military offensive.