"Historians believe that the reason for this war arose most likely due to conflict over resources, as these were the times in which agriculture was taking the place of hunting and gathering."
Are Wars Still Being Fought in the World Today? Sadly, the answer to that question is yes, they have been going on ever since the first recorded war between the forces of Sumer and Elam in Mesopotamia in 2700BC. Historians believe that the reason for this war arose most likely due to conflict over resources, as these were the times in which agriculture was taking the place of hunting and gathering. This brings us to an age old question. Why do wars start in the first place?
Common reasons for war:
- To effect change in a nation’s government
- Disagreements over territory
- Disagreements over resources
- Religion
- Race or Culture
- Revenge
There have been conflicts amongst humans ever since, well, humans existed! Throughout history, great leaders have either been lauded for being brave and skilled at the art of war or praised for being able to keep their nations peaceful and prosperous. Millions of -mostly men- have died due to war however, and not always to a noble cause. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, war is the “state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations.”
Today, in order for a war to be termed a war, some factors have to be taken into consideration:
- Fatalities are from battle related deaths as well as deaths of civilians who are intentionally targeted.
- It must consist of armed force between 2 or more organized armed groups, whether governmental or non-governmental.
War in Afghanistan
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan. The Taliban government lost control. From there, they have actively revolted against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, international forces, as well as Afghan national security forces.
To date, the Taliban carries out suicide attacks in major cities. For more than four years the war has been deadlocked. The Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) continue to fight but suffer heavy casualties. In 2018, 10,993 civilian casualties were recorded, with the UN documenting 3,804 deaths and 7,189 injuries. The total UN-documented civilian casualties since 2010 is now at more than 100,000.
War in Yemen
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents took control of Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. They demanded that fuel prices be lowered and that a new government come into power. They seized the presidential palace in January 2015, which led to the resignation of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government. From March 2015, Saudi Arabia and various other gulf states imposed economic isolation and air strikes against the Houthi insurgents, with the support of the U.S.
The civilian casualty toll has exceeded 15,000 killed or injured. At the time of writing, twenty-two million Yemenis remain in desperate need of urgent aid, while eight million people are at risk of famine. A cholera outbreak has affected over one million people. The conflict today continues to destroy the lives of Yemeni civilians, effectively rendering Yemen as the place with the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.