The world is going in the wrong direction – we need peace more than ever

 

Approximately 1.8 billion individuals globally face challenges in their efforts to survive in regions afflicted by ongoing conflicts.

September 21 was intended to celebrate the International Day of Peace, but instead, another chapter opened in the ongoing conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean, which has persisted for nearly a year. The world is heading in the wrong direction, and peace is needed now more than ever.

Currently, 1.8 billion people live in conflict zones, where basic tasks like buying bread or collecting water are nearly impossible. Conflict costs the world $14 trillion in global GDP annually, a staggering amount that could otherwise improve the health and well-being of the world’s most vulnerable citizens.

The Eastern Mediterranean Region is a prime example of the consequences of war. Over 100 million people need humanitarian assistance, including essential healthcare. Conflicts have led to widespread displacement and migration, which impacts the region and has global repercussions.

War devastates health systems: medical supply chains collapse, social structures break down, and epidemics and famine often follow. Gaza and Sudan have shown how fragile peace can be in the past year. In Sudan, civilians are enduring violence, hunger, and displacement, while in Gaza, 40,600 people have died, most of them women and children. Attacks on civilian areas and health facilities are rampant, and many survivors face lifelong disabilities.

             Families displaced by the Ukraine war shelter at a temporary center in Kursk

                                       TATYANA MAKEYEVA/AFP via Getty Images

Other countries like Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, and Somalia are experiencing similar turmoil. Despite the suffering, we have yet to find lasting political solutions.

Each year, the International Day of Peace calls for a 24-hour cessation of hostilities to remind us that conflict is not inevitable but rather a human-made catastrophe that can be solved. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently vaccinated 560,000 children in conflict zones against polio during a humanitarian pause in fighting. But only a lasting ceasefire will allow families in Gaza, Sudan, and other war-torn areas to rebuild their lives.

WHO has long recognized that health and peace are intertwined. Its Constitution states, “The health of all people is fundamental to the attainment of peace and security.” The Health as a Bridge for Peace (HOPE) initiative, launched in the 1990s, continues to promote peace through global cooperation on health.

As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said, “There cannot be health without peace, and there cannot be peace without health.” We must act together to make peace a reality for all humanity.