[Today's Prayer] "The World Has Become More Dangerous Than After WWII"...Armed Conflicts in 50 Countries Last Year

The British daily The Telegraph reported on May 22 (local time) that the trend of violence and conflict spreading to every corner of the world is continuing, with major and minor armed clashes occurring in 50 countries last year.

The Telegraph's analysis was based on data from conflict monitoring NGOs like the 'Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project' (ACLED) and the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) at Uppsala University in Sweden, as well as the Global Peace Index (GPI) published by the Australian think tank Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP). The conflicts reported last year ranged from the Ukraine-Gaza war to the Myanmar civil war and clashes between Mexican drug cartels, totaling at least 56 cases in 50 countries.

These 56 conflicts represent the second-highest number since 1946, with the record being 59 in 2023. It's estimated that at least one in six people on Earth is exposed to violence, whether major or minor. Clionadh Raleigh, Executive Director of ACLED, stated, "The level of violence is the highest since World War II. More organized violence is happening in more places. We are entering a more violent era."

(Excerpt)

The Telegraph reported that while the total number of deaths from armed conflicts over the decade from 2010 to 2019 was 953,000, it has already surpassed 1 million in just five years from 2020 to last year.

The trend of spreading armed conflict is also evident. Over the past five years, the number of fatalities has increased in most regions, including Europe, North and South America, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. This year, as the Ukraine-Gaza war continues, and relations between India and Pakistan remain on thin ice, the elements of conflict show no signs of decreasing.

ACLED predicts that the level of conflict in 2025 could increase by up to 20% compared to last year. Siri Aas Rustad of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in Norway noted that civilian casualties, who are not included in the death tolls, are also increasing, stating, "They lose healthcare and education facilities and live in fear and food insecurity."

Meanwhile, when comparing the severity of conflicts by country, Palestine had the most severe 'Conflict Index' according to ACLED last year. In Palestine, over 35,000 people have lost their lives due to Israeli attacks since the outbreak of the Gaza war, and over 80% of residents are estimated to have been exposed to violence. Myanmar ranked second, with the main reason cited as the complex nature of the conflict, as armed groups numbering up to 3,000 have emerged since 2021.

(End of Excerpt)

Source: Yonhap News

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (1 John 3:16-17)

We hear the news that last year there were at least 56 conflict cases in 50 countries, that the current level of violence is the highest since World War II, and that we are entering a more violent era. Also, while the number of deaths from conflict in the 10 years from 2010 to 2019 was close to 1 million, the number of deaths from 2020 to last year has already exceeded 1 million.

Jesus, as You said, we truly see that the end times are drawing near. As Your Word says, armed conflicts are breaking out all over the world, violence and conflict are spreading, and love is growing cold. But You said that those who endure to the end will be saved. We believe that when the gospel has been proclaimed to all nations, then the end will come, and You will return.

However, in the past five years, there have been tragic incidents where 1 million souls died in various conflicts without knowing You or hearing the gospel. May Your heart, which grieves over this, come upon us, Your believers. We want to emulate Your heart, which seeks to find every lost soul until the very end. May more evangelists rise up, with the heart of Jesus, to proclaim the gospel to the nations that are suffering from various conflicts and dying spiritually and physically because they do not know the gospel!

Just as Jesus laid down His life to save us, may the global church become a church that serves the souls of the nations with love, even to the point of laying down its life. May the global church wholeheartedly serve the suffering nations through prayer and resources. May God's love descend upon all souls in the nations through the service of the global church, and may the gospel enter so that no more souls die without knowing Jesus!

We sincerely await Jesus, our Bridegroom, who will soon come to this earth. May all souls in the nations and the global church respond and prepare for the return of Jesus!

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!