Alarm 2024! Report on conflicts, human rights and peacebuilding. – World

Summary

Alert 2024! The Conflict, Human Rights and Peacebuilding Report is an annual report that analyses the state of the world in terms of conflict and peacebuilding along three main axes: armed conflict, tensions, gender and peace and security. The analysis of the main events in 2023 and the nature, causes, dynamics, actors and consequences of the main scenarios of armed conflict and social and political tensions around the world allows a regional comparative view and also allows the identification of global trends and risk elements, as well as preventive warnings for the future. In addition, the report also identifies peacebuilding opportunities or ways to reduce, prevent or resolve conflicts.

In both cases, one of the main objectives of this report is to provide all the information, analysis and identification of warning factors and opportunities for peace for decision-makers, for those working for the peaceful resolution of conflicts or for those giving greater political, media or scientific visibility to the many situations of political and social violence in the world.

In terms of methodology, the contents of this report are based mainly on a qualitative analysis of studies and information collected from many sources – the United Nations, international organizations, research centers, communication media or NGOs, to name a few – as well as on field research in conflict-affected countries.

Below are some of the key conclusions and information from the Alert 2024! report:

• In 2023, 36 armed conflicts were registered, the highest number since 2014.

• Five new cases were considered armed conflicts in 2023 – Ethiopia (Amhara), Somalia (Somaliland – SSC Khatumo), Democratic Republic of Congo (West), Sudan and Israel-Hezbollah – while another case – Ethiopia (Tigray) – will no longer be considered an armed conflict in 2023.

• The vast majority of cases continued to be concentrated in Africa (18) and Asia and the Pacific (nine), followed by the Middle East (six), Europe (two) and the Americas (one).

• 47% of armed conflicts were of high intensity and were characterised by high mortality rates – more than a thousand deaths each year – as well as serious impacts on the population, massive forced displacement and serious consequences for the territory.

• The 17 high-intensity armed conflicts in 2023 were: Ethiopia (Amhara), Ethiopia (Oromiya), Mali, Lake Chad Region (Boko Haram), Western Sahel, Democratic Republic of Congo (East), Democratic Republic of Congo (Eastern ADF), Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia-Ukraine, Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Syria and Yemen.

• As for the evolution of armed conflicts, 42% of cases have intensified in 2023.

• According to UNHCR, the number of forced displacements worldwide in the first half of 2023 was 110 million. Of these, 36.4 million people were refugees, 62.5 million were internally displaced, 6.1 million were asylum seekers and another 5.3 million people in need of international protection.

• Of the refugees in need of international protection, by mid-2023, more than half (52%) came from just three countries affected by armed conflict: Syria (6.5 million people), Afghanistan (6.1 million) and Ukraine (5.9 million).

• In 2023, conflict and violence led to internal migration of more than 20 million people in 45 countries and territories. Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Palestine account for almost two-thirds of this number.

• In 2023, 114 sociopolitical crises were identified worldwide, six more than in 2022. This corresponds to the upward trend in the number of cases recorded in recent years.

• Africa and Asia and the Pacific were the regions with the highest number of sociopolitical crises (38 and 33 respectively), followed by the Americas (20), Europe (13) and the Middle East (10).

• Half of the sociopolitical crises (49%) worsened in 2023 (49%).

• About a quarter of the tensions (23%) were international in nature: Eritrea-Ethiopia; Democratic Republic of Congo; Venezuela-Guyana; Afghanistan-Pakistan; China-Japan; China-Taiwan; China-Philippines; North Korea-US, Japan, South Korea; North Korea-South Korea; India-China; Armenia-Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh); and Iran-US, Israel.

• 23 of the 36 armed conflicts in 2023 occurred in countries with low or medium levels of gender equality. In addition, 46 of the 114 active tensions in 2023 occurred in countries with low or medium levels of gender equality.

• The UN Secretary-General’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence identified 49 armed actors who were credibly suspected of having committed or been responsible for rape or other forms of sexual violence in the context of armed conflict.