The News Minute | September 13, 2014 | 12.50 pm IST
There are 10 wars and 8 serious armed conflicts going on across the globe. Syria tops the list for the most number of deaths in a report that is prepared.
To get onto the list ‘two or more armed groups have to be engaged in ongoing lethal violence over political objectives (control of territory or government), says Prof. Joshua Goldstein, from the School of International Service, American University, who has prepared the report with additional inputs from a study conducted in the Uppsala University.
The countries have been classified into 3 categories based on the number of deaths in a year. The category ‘wars’ include those countries which witnessed more than 1,000 deaths in a year. ‘Serious armed conflicts’ include countries which witnessed 200-999 deaths and the last category ‘other armed conflicts’ include countries which witnessed less than 200 deaths.
Syria, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Ukraine, South Sudan, DR Congo find place in the ‘war’ category. Syria is described as the ‘world’s most lethal’ country with an estimated 1,70,000 deaths in the past three years.
Afghanistan – Fate of government uncertain as international community draws down forces and Taliban persists.
Pakistan – After collapse of peace talks, government battling Taliban elements in autonomous tribal areas adjacent to Afghanistan.
India finds her name in the second category of serious armed conflicts. Sharing place in the same category are Central African Republic, Mali, Philippines, Russia, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
The report says that India had ‘little Maoist insurgencies of long standing’ but is now in a cease-fire with one main group winding down.
The list was however made before the Obama government declared that it is at war with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).