The Armed Conflicts of the Third World and the Surgeon

Abstract

The armed conflicts in the “third” world, to which belongs not only the tropical and subtropical belt across three continents, but also countries in the Balkans, the near east and central Asia, are increasing in number and intensity. Most of these conflicts are “internal” in nature in the sense that they are not wars between neighbouring countries. These conflicts, whether rebellions, civil wars, liberation struggles, succession fights or religious campaigns, have certain characteristics in common, they: • are driven by poverty • tend to be intractable or at least prolonged over many years and decades • have an immense (and so far unmeasured) impact on development indices (e.g. health, education, infrastructure, etc.) • are being fought with modern weaponry manufactured in “developed” countries and sold to the fighting groups legally or illegally • are misunderstood by public opinion in developed countries, which regard them as primitive tribal wars.