More armed conflicts took place worldwide in 2023 than any other year since the end of the Second World War, according to a Norwegian study published Monday. The Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) showed that last year saw a total of 59 conflicts, with 28 of them occurring in Africa. However, the number of countries experiencing conflicts decreased from 39 in 2022 to 34.
Data collected by Sweden’s Uppsala University from NGOs and international organizations indicated that the number of deaths in combat halved to around 122,000 compared to the previous year. This number, however, remained the third highest since 1989, amidst the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.
According to PRIO researcher Siri Aas Rustad, the increase in conflicts can be attributed in part to the Islamic State’s spread across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, as well as the involvement of non-state actors like the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM). This complexity in the conflict landscape makes it more challenging for aid groups and civil society organizations to operate effectively.
While the number of combat deaths decreased in 2023, the accumulated number over the past three years is the highest for a three-year period in 30 years. Africa had the highest number of armed conflicts with 28, followed by Asia with 17, the Middle East with 10, Europe with three, and the Americas with one.