
A year back when we entered the New Year 2024, we all hoped that the year would bring end to the conflicts around the world and reduce the threat of nuclear weapons even though this hope was filled with fear and scepticism. Despite global voice for peace, truce in any of the conflict zone seems remote at the end of the year. Whereas people in relatively peaceful regions are rejoicing Christmas and the onset of New Year, the children in Gaza have little in store for them. They have virtually forgotten what all these festivities of Christmas or Eid mean! Their only wish is end of Israeli aggression and brutal killing of their kith & kin, friends and companions. They wish to go to school and playground. Sitting far away from the war zone in Gaza, it is beyond comprehension how they are always living in fear at this tender age. They are homeless, without required food and even water for no fault of theirs. In the similar way families of the Israeli hostages have been living in extreme stress. It is a strange way of life; the Jews were persecuted by the Nazis in concentration camps, but now the Zionists are using the same tactics, spreading hatred against the Palestinians, killing them with impunity completely ignoring their human rights and the calls for ceasefire by the countries of the world and the UNO. The International court of Justice and International Criminal Court have indicted Israel for committing genocide in Gaza but the Zionist regime has completely ignored. Barring the US and few western countries, whole world is yearning for peace in the Middle East. The Nakba of 1948 is being repeated. But this time the world is watching the dance of death on their screens. Bombardments have displaced over 1.5 million people, severely restricting access to clean water, medical care, and shelter, resulting in thousands of preventable deaths. As a result of attacks by Israeli defence forces nearly 14 million people of Syria have been displaced. There are deaths in Lebanon as well due to Israeli attacks.
The situation in Ukraine is no better. Nearly 24.6 million people now require urgent humanitarian aid, and over 6.3 million are internally displaced, many facing life-threatening shortages of essential medicines and food. Those living as refugees in the neighbouring countries are facing extreme difficulties. There have been repeated threats of use of nuclear weapons. The danger to the nuclear power plants is not yet over.
Several countries in Africa are involved in internal conflicts and they are facing serious crisis of food as a result of Russia Ukraine war. Nearly half of the Sudanese population is almost starving. The on-going conflicts in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are issues of grave concern. The countries need immediate respite from wars and humanitarian aid.
In these major conflicts in Ukraine or Middle East there is explicit involvement of the outside parties. The military industrial complex is making huge profits at the cost of innocent lives. NATO is directly involved in Russia Ukraine war while the US has direct involvement in the Middle East along with with the support of western countries. Israel has taken over large part of Golan Heights in Syria. There are reports of burning of Christmas tree in Syria, a country known for its secular credentials till date. The US, who till date called the present rulers of Syria as terrorists is now all out to establish diplomatic ties with them.
With recent statements coming out of prospective Trump administration are conflicting and full of uncertainty. It is to be seen whether Trump will move in a positive direction as per his pre-election commitments or continue with the same rhetoric as the Biden administration. Lately he has said that he will try to get Panama Canal under the control of the US. This will add to the tensions in American continent. He has not taken any firm stand on Israeli aggression. It is he who had broken the deal with Iran. Now Israel is openly calling Iran as a staunch enemy. There have been missiles exchanges between Iran and Israel. It is to be seen what shape politics takes place in Trump’s era.
South Asia too is witnessing uncertain times. Even though Sri Lankan situation has given some sense of relief, but rise of Fundamentalism in Pakistan, India and now Bangladesh are issues to be worried about.
The peace movement has hard tasks to perform at the present juncture. Various groups must unite nationally as well as internationally to counter the forces promoting arms race. We have to impress upon the nuclear weapons possessing countries to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) which was passed by the UN General Assembly in July 2017 and save the world from catastrophe.
Dr Arun Mitra is a Practicing ENT Surgeon in Ludhiana, Punjab. He is also the President of Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) www.idpd.org