Explainer: Ongoing military conflicts

Story and Infographic by Ben

From the deserts of Syria to the jungles of the Congo, conflicts across the world kill thousands and displace millions annually. It is essential that we know about these conflicts, so that we may move towards a more peaceful world.

of Sana’a, and in 2017, the separatist Southern Transitional Council entered the war, attempting to restore the former state of South Yemen. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the world’s largest ongoing humanitarian crisis.

War in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Russo-Ukraine Conflict

In February

2022, angered by the eastward expansion of Atlantic Treaty Organization, Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine. With American military and logistical assistance, Ukraine has managed to win several key battles. Both sides have each suffered 100,000 killed or wounded soldiers and millions of civilians have been forced to flee. Many local residents have decided to help Ukrainian refugees, with some even sponsoring displaced Ukrainians living in Marin (read more on page 18).

Meanwhile, Russian anarchocommunists have launched partisan attacks on the Russian military, sabotaging railroad tracks and throwing homemade explosives into military recruiting offices.

The Philippine Crisis

The Philippines is the site of two concurrent crises: a civil conflict and a drug war. Maoist rebels have waged a people’s war against the authoritarian Philippine government since 1969. Meanwhile, the Philippine government has massively cracked down on the drug trade by violently arresting drug dealers— and sometimes innocent bystanders— en masse.

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan, two countries nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, have been rivals for decades. In 2020, the two countries fought a month-long war over the disputed breakaway-state of Arteksah, which had declared independence from

& Rob Acker Julie Alexander The Alioto Family

& Mark Anderson

Anderson

& Seth Anderson The Arias Family The Aujla Family Graham Banks The Barker Family

Barta

& TJ Belger Stephanie Bennett

& Shawn Bennett Kristin Bennett The Berger Family The Bishop Family

The Block Family

Soccorsy & Amy Bloodgood

Fred & Mary Blum

Coco Boyden

Kathleen Beaver Brady

Casey Braff Carolyn Calfee & Gerard Britt

Donal & Brenda Brown

Ruth Krueger & Kevin Buckholtz

Kristi Burlingame

Dawn Valler & Peter Byck

Meghan Caldwell Victoria Camelio

Dipa Cappelen

The Carlson Family

Anna Cecchini

Sarah Centeno Carolyn Calfee & Gerard Choucroun road from Armenia to Arteksah, a violation of the 2020 peace agreement.

Internal

Conflict in Myanmar

A military coup in Myanmar sparked a brutal civil war between the ruling military junta and a coalition of anti-government forces. Armed ethnic militias, prodemocracy rebels and communist guerillas have all managed to win impressive victories against the dictatorship.

Syrian Civil War

Since 2012, various jihadist rebel groups supported by the United States have waged a rebellion against the Russianbacked Syrian government. Kurdish anarchist and feminist groups have used a resulting power vacuum to take control of the country’s northeast. Turkey, wishing to prevent greater Kurdish autonomy, has

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Clashes between the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and various Palestinian militant organizations such as Hamas have flared up in 2021 and 2022. Major human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International accuse Israel of committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinians, while Israel accuses Hamas of using human shields during the conflict. Israel also occupies most of the strategic Golan Heights, although most of the international community assert that the Golan Heights belong to Syria.

Yemeni Civil War

Islamist rebels are engaged in a war of attrition against a Saudi-led coalition that is supporting the Yemeni government. In 2014, the rebels captured Yemen’s capital