Armed Conflicts

Climate Change Turns African Rivers into Epicentres of Conflict

By Maina Waruru
Almost all major river basins in Africa have become the epicentres for conflicts over the last 20 years, and agricultural yields on the continent could drop by up to 50 percent in the coming years owing to the drying up of 'traditional' water sources, thanks in part to effects climate change and degradation of the environment, the inaugural edition of the State of Africa's Environment Report 2023 released in Nairobi finds.

The Road to Hell is Paved with Not-So-Good Intentions: Quo Vadis Israel-Palestine?

By Purnaka L. de Silva
“God Is Truth” – Mahatma Gandhi. The bloodletting in Israel-Palestine is nothing new, perhaps the ferocity and intensity has become much worse and more frenetic. Ever since the Zionist project to establish a Jewish nation took hold in 1948, and flourished thereafter, the local inhabitants, mostly Arab Muslims and Christians, were displaced in the power equation and became dispossessed in every sense of the word.

Damning Evidence of War Crimes in Gaza

By an IPS Correspondent
Amnesty International (AI), one of the leading human rights organizations, has accused Israeli forces of continuing “to intensify their cataclysmic assault on the occupied Gaza Strip.”

American Weapons Used in Gaza Trigger War Crime Accusations Against US

By Thalif Deen
The widespread use of American weapons by Israel, which has killed thousands of civilians in Gaza, has triggered accusations of war crimes against the United States. But US has always escaped these charges in contemporary military conflicts –particularly in the killing fields of Afghanistan and Iraq --and also in the use of American weapons in Yemen where thousands have been killed.

Gaza Humanitarian Crisis Worsens Even As First Aid Convoys Arrive

By Hisham Allam and Naureen Hossain
The ongoing violence in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a humanitarian crisis described as "catastrophic" – and even as aid arrived, strikes intensified.

In Gaza, Civilians Have No Escape from Bombs and Missiles– & No Water or Food Either

By Joyce Msuya
The humanitarian situation in and around the Gaza Strip—which continues to unfold as we speak—can only be described as an utter catastrophe.

Israel Must Remember Its Moral Values in Its Quest to Crush Hamas

By Alon Ben-Meir
Israel will recover over time from its colossal intelligence failure and its tardiness in responding militarily to Hamas’ massacre. But it cannot do so unless it upholds its moral values and makes every effort to spare the lives of innocent Palestinians as it pursues Hamas’ destruction

UNRWA Warns of Unprecedented Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza

By Philippe Lazzarini
As of today, my UNRWA colleagues in Gaza are no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance. As I speak with you, Gaza is running out of water and electricity. In fact, Gaza is being strangled and it seems that the world right now has lost its humanity.

Alarm Raised as Israel’s Ground Military Invasion, Blockade of Gaza Strip Looms

By Joyce Chimbi
It is a bloodbath and unmitigated mayhem as heavy fighting unfolds between Israeli forces and the Palestinian group Hamas which has taken the world by surprise. Amidst raids, rockets and sustained fierce gunfire, bombs, and death, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. Now, both sides are warned to consider the impact of their actions on the civilian population. 

Religious Leaders Can Help Bring about World Peace

By Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
It is not a secret that the world is witnessing rising international tensions and erosion of the global order that has been in place since the establishment of the United Nations. Divisive blocs, which have not been seen since the Cold War, are making a swift return. As a result, our planet is facing severe threats, including a new global arms race, the threat of the use of nuclear weapons, and the proliferation of wars in all formats, including hot, hybrid, cyber, and trade.

Our Teachers, Our Heroes

By Yasmine Sherif
We are in a race to deliver on our global promise of education for all by 2030 – especially for the 224 million girls and boys impacted by armed conflict, climate change, forced displacement and other protracted crises who so urgently need our support. At the frontlines of this movement are the inspiring, caring, brilliant teachers who work tirelessly to educate future generations.

Wanted: Teachers For Change!

By Heike Kuhn
Once a year, on October 5, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. Why is it so important to have a closer look on the teaching profession? What is so special about being a teacher nowadays?

Peacekeeper Cecilia Erzuah Promotes Gender Equality by Example

By Abigail Van Neely
Cecilia Erzuah was torn between two opposite career paths at the end of university. The week she was supposed to begin military training, her professor offered her a position as an assistant to a lecturer.

Global Leaders Plead for Peace in Ukraine at UN

By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies
As it did last year, the 2023 United Nations General Assembly has been debating what role the United Nations and its members should play in the crisis in Ukraine.

Nature Doesn’t Know Borders: Collaboration for Conservation in Cyprus

By Abigail Van Neely
Along the 180-kilometer-long buffer zone separating the north and south of Cyprus, there is a surprising sign of unity: recycled ammunition boxes no longer hold bullets. They are home to baby birds.

After Nagorno-Karabakh, is Armenia Next?

By Karlos Zurutuza
On September 19, the sound of bombs reminded the world of a long-forgotten conflict. In the Caucasus, the Azerbaijan’s army was launching a massive attack against a small enclave, Nagorno-Karabakh.

Barriers to Movement are the Never Ending Normal for Palestinians

By Abigail Van Neely
Sundus* scans the news before she heads home, checking for signs that her 30-minute commute could turn into a four-hour-long slog. Any incident could make travel difficult. Sometimes Sundus waits for her father to call and tell her if the checkpoints around their home are open. After living in Hebron, a city in the West Bank, for the last 20 years, she is used to planning her day around unpredictability.

UN, Still Living in the 1940s, Urgently in Need of Reforms

By Thalif Deen
Politically, the United Nations has largely been described as a monumental failure ---with little or no progress in resolving some of the world’s past and ongoing military conflicts and civil wars, including Palestine, Western Sahara, Kashmir, and more recently, Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and Myanmar, among others.

The Vast Potential of the Human Spirit

By Gordon Brown
With hope and courage, we must rise to the challenges before us. We must rise to the challenge of a world set afire by climate change, forced displacement, armed conflicts and human rights abuses. We must rise to the challenge of girls being denied their right to an education in Afghanistan. We must rise to the challenge of a global refugee crisis that is disrupting development gains the world over. We must rise to the challenge of brutal and unconscionable wars in places like Sudan and Ukraine that are putting millions of children at risk every day.

Gabon: The End of a Dictatorship… and the Beginning of Another?

By Inés M. Pousadela
On 26 August, Gabon went through the motions of an election. Official results were announced four days later, in the middle of the night, with the country under curfew. Predictably, incumbent President Ali Bongo, in power since the death of his father and predecessor in 2009, was handed a third term. Fraud allegations were rife, as in previous elections. But this time something unprecedented happened: less than an hour later the military had taken over, and the Bongo family’s 56-year reign had ended.

What Happens in the Arctic Does Not Stay in the Arctic

By Jan Lundius
While climate change is relentlessly progressing, threatening life on earth, world leaders continue to meet while planning for a future where this immense menace to human existence remains a minor item on the agenda.
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