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Can science be a route to peace and common understanding? A glance at the history of one institution shows: only when scientists actively commit to it. Can science be a route to peace and common understanding? A glance at the history of one institution shows: only when scientists actively commit to it.

To date, the research community has failed to reach a consensus on the nature and significance of the relationship between climate variability and armed conflict. We argue that progress has been hampered by insufficient attention paid to the context in which droughts and other climatic extremesmay increase the risk of violent mobilization. Addressing this shortcoming, this study presents an actor-oriented analysis of the drought–conflict relationship, focusing specifically on politically relevant ethnic groups and their sensitivity to growing-season drought under various political and socioeconomic contexts. To this end, we draw on new conflict event data that cover Asia and Africa, 1989–2014, updated spatial ethnic settlement data, and remote sensing data on agricultural land use. Our procedure allows quantifying, for each ethnic group, drought conditions during the growing season of the locally dominant crop. A comprehensive set of multilevel mixed effects models that account for the groups’ livelihood, economic, and political vulnerabilities reveals that a drought under most conditions has little effect on the short-term risk that a group challenges the state by military means. However, for agriculturally dependent groups as well as politically excluded groups in very poor countries, a local drought is found to increase the likelihood of sustained violence. We interpret this as evidence of the reciprocal relationship between drought and conflict, whereby each phenomenon makes a group more vulnerable to the other.

Aims: Armed conflicts produce a wide series of distressing consequences, including death, all of which impact negatively on the lives of survivors. This paper focuses specifically on the mental health consequences of war on adults and child/adolescent refugees or those living in war zones through a review of all systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses published from 2005 up until the current time. Results: Fifteen systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses conducted in adult populations, and seven relating to children and adolescents, were selected for the purpose of this review. Prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were two- to three-fold higher amongst people exposed to armed conflict compared to those who had not been exposed, with women and children being the most vulnerable to the outcome of armed conflicts. A series of war-related, migratory and post-migratory stressors contribute to short- and long-term mental health issues in the internally displaced, asylum seekers and refugees. Conclusion: It should be a required social responsibility for all psychiatrists and psychiatric associations to commit to raising awareness amongst political decision-makers as to the mental health consequences caused by armed conflicts, as part of their duty of care for people experiencing the consequences of war.

Using artificial intelligence to predict outbursts of violence and probe their causes could save lives, argue Weisi Guo, Kristian Gleditsch and Alan Wilson. Using artificial intelligence to predict outbursts of violence and probe their causes could save lives, argue Weisi Guo, Kristian Gleditsch and Alan Wilson.

[...]the decades long face-off of troops at the Siachen glacier continues to cost India and Pakistan over $600m annually,11 about the cost of the entire primary care and public health programme in 34 provinces of Afghanistan for 2021-23.12 These expenditures also pale in the face of the enormous cost of maintaining nuclear arsenals and delivery systems in India and Pakistan,13 a travesty given that 22-28% of children in both countries don’t receive routine early immunisations.14 The history of conflict and vast inequities meant the region was a sitting duck for an infectious disease outbreak that took full advantage of social vulnerability. [...]South Asia has fared badly, with massive social and economic disruptions and the emergence of the delta variant leading to tremendous excess mortality across many countries in the region, including Sri Lanka, which had been less affected in the early phases of the pandemic (fig 1).1516 Education was interrupted for an estimated 434 million children, and numbers of teenage pregnancies rose by over 450 000 as young girls were married after dropping out of school.17 Fig 1. The first lockdown in India was associated with massive social upheaval and population displacement from cities to rural areas,25 and although this was followed by a massive ramp up and expanded reach of food and other safety nets, the effects on food security remain.26 Similar effects were noted in Bangladesh.27 In contrast, Pakistan rapidly executed a programme of emergency cash transfers,28 blunting much of the early economic shock and permitting the government to institute mitigation measures at scale. Potential role of health diplomacy The ability of health related efforts to drive long term peace and stability has been questioned.29 However, such efforts have previously paused hostilities in Africa and Latin America to allow for humanitarian assistance and mass immunisations (such as for smallpox and polio).30 Public health imperatives have previously surmounted conflict in South Asia, including the massive outpouring of support and sympathy from the region during the Pakistan earthquake in 200531 and recent responses from civil society in Pakistan in the wake of the covid-19 disaster in India.32 For their part, health professionals often already work in close collaboration with local, regional, and global civil society institutions and networks to promote peace, health, and wellbeing.

Background Conflict is a complicated topic with a multidimensional consequences for community health. Its effects have a broad pattern, starting from direct war-related morbidity and mortality caused by bullets and bombs to indirect consequences due to the interruption of the delivery of preventive and curative health services. This study aimed to explore the health consequences of the northern Ethiopian conflict in the North Wollo zone, northeast Ethiopia, in 2022. Methods This descriptive qualitative study was conducted from May to June 2022 on six conflict-affected Woredas in the north Wollo zone. A total of 100 purposively selected participants, which included patients, pregnant women, elders, community and religious leaders, and health professionals, were interviewed using IDI and FGD. The data was entered, coded, and analyzed using Open Code version 4.03. Thematic analysis approach employed to conduct the interpretation. Data was presented using descriptive statistics in the form of texts and tables. Results The findings indicate that the conflict has caused a profound consequence on population health. It has resulted in a wide range of direct and indirect consequences, ranging from war-related casualties, famine, and disruptions of supply chains and forced displacement to instances of violence and rape associated with insecurity. The conflict also caused a breakdown in the health system by causing distraction of health infrastructure, fleeing of health workers and shortage of medication, together with insecurity and lack of transportation, which greatly affected the provision and utilization of health services. Additionally, the conflict has resulted in long-term consequences, such as the destruction of health facilities, interruption of immunization services, posttraumatic stress disorders, and lifelong disabilities. The coping strategies utilized were using available traditional medicines and home remedies, obtaining medications from conflict-unaffected areas, and implementing home-to-home healthcare services using available supplies. Conclusion The Northern Ethiopian conflict has an impact on community health both directly and indirectly through conflict-related causalities and the breakdown of the health system and health-supporting structures. Therefore, this study recommends immediate rehabilitation interventions for damaged health infrastructure and affected individuals.

AbstractObjectiveTo systematically document the patterns of war related injuries in Gaza, Palestine.DesignSurvey study of international healthcare workers, August 2024 to February 2025.SettingGaza, Palestine.Participants78 international healthcare workers deployed to Gaza.Main outcome measuresThe main outcome was the type of injuries observed by international healthcare workers during the conflict in Gaza. A Delphi informed survey was distributed through non-governmental organisation rosters and secure WhatsApp and email groups. Respondents completed the survey using contemporaneous logbooks and shift records.ResultsThe survey collected data on 12 anatomical regions, mechanisms of trauma, and general medical conditions. 78 healthcare workers reported 23 726 trauma related injuries and 6960 injuries related to weapons. The most common traumatic injuries were burns (n=4348, 18.3%), lower limb injuries (n=4258, 17.9%), and upper limb injuries (n=3534, 14.9%). Explosive injuries accounted for most of the weapon related trauma (n=4635, 66.6%), predominantly affecting the head (n=1289, 27.8%), whereas firearm injuries disproportionately affected the lower limbs (n=526, 22.6%). Healthcare workers reported 4188 people with chronic disease across 11 domains requiring long term treatment.ConclusionHealthcare workers deployed to Gaza reported an injury phenotype defined by extensive polytrauma (≥2 anatomical regions), complex blast injuries from high yield explosives, firearm related injuries to upper and lower limbs, and severe disruption to primary care and the treatment of chronic diseases. The results provide actionable insights to tailor humanitarian response and highlight the urgent need for structured, resilient clinical surveillance systems.Editor’s noteThis paper is based on research from an active war zone, where conventional research methods may be impossible to apply.

Violent armed conflict befell Nigeria in 2009 in form of Boko Haram terrorism and insurgency, and has been extended and sustained in all nooks and crannies of the country by banditry, kidnapping for ransom, herder-farmer clash and unknown gunmen attack or ethnic militia. On the other hand, between 2009 and 2024, Nigeria has suffered two economic recessions. This study interrogated the association between the sustained violent armed conflict with the attendant environmental shock and insecurity with the related deaths and economic health in Nigeria (2004–2020), covering the pre-Boko Haram years (2004–2007) and the Boko Haram operation years (2009–2019). The longitudinal study regressed the secondary data on violent armed conflict related deaths in Nigeria against % value added to gross domestic product by agriculture for 2004–2020 and against the prevalence of undernourishment for 2004–2019. Results showed that increase in battle related deaths led to statistically significant decrease in value added to national productivity by agriculture, forestry, and fishing. Prevalence of undernourishment increased significantly with increase in battle-related deaths. The study concluded that violent armed conflicts had significant negative impacts on environmental security in Nigeria and recommended that policymaking and direction be guided as such in order to stem the tide.

Conflict pressures are pushing the world closer to autonomous weapons that can kill without human control. Researchers and the international community must join forces to prohibit them. Conflict pressures are pushing the world closer to autonomous weapons that can kill without human control. Researchers and the international community must join forces to prohibit them.