A new report from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) reveals a stark reality: global conflict-related deaths have reached their highest level in three decades. While battlefield deaths in 2024 declined slightly compared to the previous two years, the overall number of conflict-related deaths, including civilians, has risen to alarming levels since 2021, the new PRIO report said.
Despite a ceasefire in Tigray last year, 2023 still saw a staggering 122,000 conflict-related deaths, with over 71,000 casualties in Ukraine and an estimated 23,000 deaths in Gaza in a short period at the end of 2023.
The report highlighted the increasing complexity of the global conflict landscape, with 59 conflict zones recorded in 34 countries. Many nations are simultaneously dealing with multiple conflicts, creating a challenging international environment.
"Violence in the world is at an all-time high," stated Siri Aas Rustad, author of the report and research professor at PRIO. She noted the escalating complexity of conflicts, with more than half of the affected countries experiencing multiple conflicts and seven countries facing more than three at once.
Rustad attributed this complexity in part to the expansion of Daesh* and other armed extremist groups across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and the increased involvement of non-state actors like the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin* group.
For the first time, the Americas hold the most non-state conflicts, with 36 recorded. Mexico, with almost 14,000 conflict-related deaths, remains the most violent country in the region.
The report emphasized the concerning emergence of new and extremely violent conflicts, raising concerns about the escalating global humanitarian crisis.
*Daesh, also known as the Islamic State (IS), and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries around the world.