Conflicts between countries or within them have affected 6.15 million square kilometers of territory, which is 4.6% of the Earth's land area (up from 2.8% in 2021). The number of deaths due to conflicts has risen by 29%.
This is stated in the report "Conflict Intensity Index," published by risk analysts Verisk Maplecroft.
How many multilateral peacekeeping operations have been conducted worldwideThe infographic shows how many multilateral peacekeeping missions took place around the world in 2022-2023.The area affected by conflicts is nearly double the size of India.
"The spread of violence is reflected in the rising number of victims. The death toll from conflicts is expected to exceed 200,000 by the end of the year, which is 29% more than in 2021. The Middle East and Ukraine remain the most intense theaters of military operations, both having the potential for escalation," the report states.
According to the report, the "conflict corridor" in Africa has doubled since 2021. Areas affected by conflict in 14 countries in the Sahel and East Africa now account for about 10% of the total land area of sub-Saharan Africa.
The escalation is most pronounced in Burkina Faso, where combat operations have affected 86% of the territory. During the same period, conflict zones in the civil wars in Sudan and Ethiopia have expanded by more than 20% and 30% respectively, while armed violence in Nigeria now impacts 44% of its territory.
"The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia also represents another significant factor in the global surge of conflicts. The share of Ukrainian territory affected by military actions has increased from less than 8.6% to 70.5% since February 2022. Perhaps more surprisingly, the area of Russian territory impacted by conflict has increased more than tenfold during the same period amid cross-border shelling, Ukrainian drone strikes, and missile attacks, covert raids, and Ukraine's offensive in the Kursk region," the report notes.
It is worth noting that The Economist predicts that hostilities between Russia and Ukraine may cease in 2025, as both sides are nearing exhaustion and "would prefer for the conflict to fizzle out."
Earlier reports indicated that global military expenditures rose by 6.8% in 2023, reaching a record high.