Asking for prayers, Pope Francis appeals to men and women of goodwill not to forget the many conflicts and violent clashes that continue to rage across many parts of the world – with each claiming a heavy human, economic, and social cost.
By Nathan Morley
Seemingly forgotten conflicts continue to rage across many parts of the world – with each claiming a heavy human, economic, and social cost.
As seen in Africa, instability expands beyond borders.
Sudan
Since earlier this year, Sudan has been wracked by a wave of horrific violence between troops loyal to two rival forces.
In that conflict, bloodletting first erupted in Khartoum, then spread to Darfur, hundreds of kilometres away. Though figures are by no means accurate, estimates suggest about 2.5 million Sudanese have fled their homes, and over 1,000 have lost their lives.
Sahel and DRC
Also in Africa, events in the Sahel region – a belt that spans 5,400 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea – continue to cause concern.
Years of conflict have left over a million people requiring humanitarian assistance and protection.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, a horrific attack on 16 June gave the world a reminder of how chaos in eastern Congo, a place terrorised by armed groups, continues to rage.
Yemen, Syria, Ukraine
Elsewhere, whilst there has been an extended lull in violence in Yemen, the international community remain alarmed by events. The country took a breathless descent into violence in 2014 when rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
The situation escalated further when a Saudi-led military coalition entered the war in 2015.
And, amid all this, there is Syria. Though largely absent from the headlines, violence continues to stalk the country where more than half a million people have died since 2011.
Just last week, the United Nations UN expressed concern over hostilities when at least 11 people were killed in Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Idlib province.
Reports suggest it was the deadliest attack this year, with nine people lost when fighter jets unloaded a cargo of bombs next to a fruit market.
On top of all this, the fighting in Ukraine provides another addition to the catalogue of conflicts.
