News - 183 regional conflicts occur in world in 2023

At least 183 regional conflicts occurred across the globe in 2023, which is the highest figure over the last three decades, the UK-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said in its annual Armed Conflict Survey, TASS reported. The number of victims gained 14% year on year and violence cases surged by 28% annually, according to the report. "This points to an increasingly problematic situation in many parts of the world in terms of humanitarian, stabilization and reconstruction needs," the IISS added. The International Committee of the Red Cross has provided data on more than 450 armed groups, some of which have local or regional superiority. Internal terrorism, territorial disputes, increase in the number of criminal groups and criminal rivalry are indicated as causes of conflicts. The climatic crisis also exacerbates existing disagreements in unstable countries, according to IISS. Conflicts erode "the state’s ability to adapt and address climate impacts, while those same climate impacts contribute to conflict dynamics and governance failures," the report indicates. The UN's influence weakened because of strains between countries inside the organization, the IISS noted. The great powers veto each other's resolutions at the UN Security Council, and this prevents finding a joint solution, it added. The IISS considers the inability to resolve regional conflicts to be one of the main features of the current geopolitical situation.