Conflict In Afghanistan Research Articles

PSIT communication, collaboration, and inclusion: needs, challenges, and current proposals

The 21st century has involved several changes at the social, economic, educational, health, etc. levels, brought about by events of different types, such as, for example, the constant conflicts in different parts of the world (including the Afghan conflict or the war in Ukraine), natural disasters caused by climate change, or health crises such as COVID-19 (Valero-Garcés and Alcalde Peñalver, 2024). These situations have often resulted in humanitarian crises that have involved large-scale population movements (Valero-Garcés and Alcalde Peñalver, 2024). This increase in population movements has been a challenge in itself as it has led to the configuration of new multicultural societies across the globe (Valero-Garcés and Lázaro Gutiérrez, 2016). This new reality implies not only coexistence but also access to basic public rights and services for the host population who does not speak the main language as well as the fulfilment of human rights (Vitalaru, forthcoming); in these different contexts, communication is essential. The very characteristics of PSIT, with its variety of contexts and situations, imply a series of challenges for different groups (users, service providers, and translators and interpreters) related to the provision and availability of services; provision and availability depend on the field in question, the availability of professionals for all the language combinations involved, the existence of training programmes, the quality of the training available, access to such training, etc. These challenges have been identified through the practice of the profession as well as through more specific research and are all related in some way to professionalisation. This article gathers some of the needs and challenges raised in different studies focused on Spain, as well as a summary of the topics covered in the articles included in this thematic issue of the journal. The contributions in this issue attempt to offer, from different perspectives (professional practice, training, and research), results, reflections, and actions considering the variety of PSIT situations and tasks. As this is a special thematic issue, the issue includes only articles and interviews.

Spinal Injuries and Spine Care in the US Military Health System (2001-Present).

Literature Review. The goal of this study was to provide a comprehensive outline of spinal injuries that may transpire over the course of military service from traumatic to repetitive stress injuries and chronic sequalae. We considered studies that assessed spinal injuries in the combat and non-combat settings as reported in the literature over the last 15-20 years. Military service places servicemembers under substantial physical demands, while also exposing them to dangerous, unpredictable environments. As a result, servicemembers are at an increased risk of spinal injuries from combat-related trauma and other causes. They may have different care needs and recovery profiles when compared to civilians with spinal disorders. We performed a review of the available literature on spinal injuries and spinal care in the Military Health System from 2001-present. The studies discussed in this review were primarily focused on the conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan from over ten years ago and do not fully capture the present-day advancements in military technology that may have an impact on the potential for spinal injuries. The long-term effects of sustained military service and the relative influence of high demand versus sedentary military occupations on the development of spinal disorders remains poorly understood. Given the changing nature of military service, both with respect to the demographic in uniform and the ever-evolving nature of modern combat, we believe that only a long-term prospective observational study dedicated to the surveillance of spinal problems could effectively answer these questions. Further research into the present-day characterization of spinal injuries is warranted given the advancements in both military technology and spine care that have occurred over the last ten years.

New Trends in the Procurement and Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Based on the presented classification of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the specifics of their use in modern conflicts are examined. The main trends in the procurement of UAVs are analyzed. It is indicated that the use of UAVs in combat is not limited to the functions of reconnaissance, target designation and strikes, as well as the detection and destruction of terrorist groups, as was the case in Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. Thе UAVs are increasingly used within the framework of reconnaissance and strike complexes on the battlefield. The RD and production of small and mini-drones, as well as of unmanned aerial vehicles capable of remaining invulnerable to air defense systems, are actively developing. Other modern technologies of unmanned systems are being advanced. Due to the fact that in recent years the trend of massive use of small and mini-UAVs in conflicts has prevailed, supplies to the armed forces of various countries of heavy and a number of medium (tactical) high-altitude and medium-altitude drones are decreasing, while the purchases of small drones, as well as light civilian UAVs with reconfigured software, are increasing.

Conflict in Afghanistan and Its Impact on Pak-US Relations

Conflict in Afghanistan, either Soviet invasion of Afghanistan or war on terror in post 9/11 period, has deep impact on Pak- US relations. In both the cases Pakistan got the status of the most important state strategically. It played important role as a front-line state to fight against the Soviet Union during Soviet attack of Afghanistan. As a result, America extended economic and military support to Pakistan. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan, American Foreign policy towards Pakistan was changed; it stopped all kind of economic and military support to Pakistan and imposed sanctions on it. Again, in post 9/11 attacks on American soil, America decided to attack Afghanistan and it needed Pakistan’s logistic support. Pakistan extended the required support and again became an important American ally in operation in Afghanistan. Thus, we may say, that conflict in Afghanistan has deep impact on Pak- US relations.

Who needs a tourniquet? And who does not? Lessons learned from a review of tourniquet use in the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Extremity tourniquets have proven to be lifesaving in both civilian and military settings and should continue to be used by first responders for trauma patients with life-threatening extremity bleeding. This is especially true in combat scenarios in which both the casualty and the first responder may be confronted by the imminent threat of death from hostile fire as the extremity hemorrhage is being treated. Not every extremity wound, however, needs a tourniquet. One of the most important aspects of controlling life-threatening extremity bleeding with tourniquets is to recognize what magnitude of bleeding requires this intervention and what magnitude of bleeding does not. Multiple studies, both military and civilian, have shown that tourniquets are often applied when they are not medically indicated. Overuse of extremity tourniquets has not caused excess morbidity in either the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan or in the US urban civilian setting. In the presence of prolonged evacuation, however, applying a tourniquet when it is not medically indicated changes tourniquet application from being a lifesaving intervention to one that may cause an avoidable amputation and the development of an array of metabolic derangements and acute kidney injury collectively called prolonged tourniquet application syndrome. The recent literature was reviewed for papers that documented the complications of tourniquet use resulting from the prolonged casualty evacuation times being seen in the current Russo-Ukrainian war. The literature was also reviewed for the incidence of tourniquet application that was found to not be medically indicated, in both the US civilian setting and from Ukraine. Finally, an in-person meeting of the US/Ukraine Tourniquet Working Group was held in Warsaw, Poland, in December of 2023. Unnecessary loss of extremities and life-threatening episodes of prolonged tourniquet application syndrome are currently occurring in Ukrainian combat forces because of nonindicated tourniquet use combined with the prolonged evacuation time seen in the Russo-Ukrainian war. Specific numbers of the complications experienced as a result of tourniquet use by Ukrainian forces in the current conflict are treated as classified information and are not available, but multiple sources from the Ukrainian military medical personnel and from the US advisors providing medical assistance to Ukraine have all agreed that the problem is substantial. Unnecessary tourniquet morbidity might also occur in US forces in a variety of potential future combat scenarios in which evacuation to surgical care is delayed. Prehospital trauma training programs, including but not limited to tactical combat casualty care, place insufficient emphasis on the need to avoid leaving tourniquets in place when they are not medically indicated. This aspect of training should receive emphasis in future Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) and civilian first responder curriculum development. An interim ad hoc training solution on this topic is available at the websites noted in this articles. Additional training modalities may follow in the near future. Therapeutic/Care Management; Level V.

AFGHANISTAN: THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ARMED CONFLICT

This study examines the economic impact of armed conflict in Afghanistan. During the armed conflict between 1978 and 2021, the country received $88 billion in official development assistance (ODA) and over $136 billion in war-induced USAID funding. We found that the one-year Afghan armed conflict, with an average of 17,661 battle-related deaths, increases the GDP per capita by at least 1.9%. Comparatively, a one-year US-led war relative to a USSR-led war increases the GDP per capita by at least 5.7%; in contrast, a one-year civil war reduces it by 4.1%. In addition, our cost estimation suggests that between 2002 and 2021, at least $40.9 ± 5% billion (45.9%) of the Afghan state budget is spent on war-related and war-affected institutions. This is equal to 1,062% of Afghanistan’s total GDP in 2002 and 280% in 2021. Moreover, this study will be helpful in understanding the implications of the Sustainable Development Goals and achieving specific targets such as Goal 8 (economic growth) and Goal 16 (peace and inclusive societies) in Afghanistan. Keywords. Economic impact, GDP, armed conflict, USSR-led War, US-led War, civil war, Afghanistan.

What is the Case Volume of Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons in the Military Health System? An Assessment of Wartime Readiness and Skills Sustainment.

Complex, high-energy extremity trauma secondary to explosive mechanisms has been increasingly common in modern warfare, accounting for a majority of combat wounds throughout the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons treated many of these complex injuries; however, as the number of casualties continue to decrease during a period of relative peace, a growing concern over maintaining military trauma readiness exists. The Military Health System Data Repository was queried for all Common Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes associated with 18 fellowship-trained orthopaedic trauma surgeons from 2013 to 2019. The codes were further analyzed and categorized based on common trauma subspecialty procedures such as fracture fixation of the pelvic ring, acetabulum, upper and lower extremity, peri-articular, and nonunion/malunion surgery. We used descriptive statistics to quantify both the average number of cases per surgeon per year in each of the subcategories and case volume among Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) during the study period. We identified 7,769 CPT codes for surgical procedures throughout the study period. The most common surgical procedures performed were: removal of implant (n = 836, 11%), knee arthroscopy (n = 507, 7%), and debridement of devitalized tissue (n = 345, 4%). The total trauma subspecialty procedural codes and average cases per surgeon per year were as follows: pelvic ring (n = 54, <1 case/year), acetabulum (n = 90, 1 case/year), upper extremity (n = 1,314, 15 cases/year), lower extremity (n = 2,286, 25 cases/year), peri-articular (n = 675, 8 cases/year), and nonunion/malunion (n = 288, 3 cases/year). San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) accounted for the most fracture-related CPT codes overall (35%), while all other MTFs contributed approximately 10% or less of all fracture-related codes. These results highlight the lack of orthopaedic trauma volume at other MTFs outside of SAMMC, raising concern for maintaining military readiness during an inter-war period of relative peace. The DoD continues to make concerted efforts to maintain readiness through civilian partnerships and subsequently increase surgical case volume for military trauma surgeons. Future efforts should include an in-depth analysis of caseloads of military trauma surgeons providing care at both MTFs and civilian institutions to optimize preparedness in future conflicts.

One Universal Civilization: Superiority and Eurocentric Conception of the Rest

The prevailing notion suggests a universal or human civilization, positing all as subsets of a shared human experience. This article critiques this perspective, arguing that the contemporary concept of human civilization is predominantly synonymous with Western civilization. This article will elucidate its argument by drawing upon the insights of Western scholars in the field of civilizational studies. Subsequently, it will undertake a critical examination and assessment of the Western discourse, evaluating its outcomes as evidenced in contemporary foreign policy shaped by the historical backdrop of colonialism. The article uses direct quotations and historical narratives to not only scrutinize the inclination to depict Western civilization as singular, extraordinary, and unparalleled but also to highlight the persistent tendency to undervalue the importance of other civilizations, often termed as 'the rest'. It relies on primary materials authored by Western scholars concerning the notion of civilization, supplemented by secondary references citing influential intellectuals in the field. In addition to primary sources such as interviews and contemporary statements regarding pertinent events, secondary sources encompass literature on civilization within the framework of global south studies. The notion of Western civilization is depicted as a constructed political construct utilized to perpetuate Western hegemony, engender othering, and perpetuate colonialist agendas. This dynamic persists even in the post-Cold War era, wherein ongoing Western hegemony perpetuates dominance over non-Western powers. Instances reflecting this neo-colonialist paradigm include the US intervention in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan, and the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza as of late 2023.

Conflict and democratization in Afghanistan

ABSTRACT The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 terminated the country’s democratisation. The crisis was more an outcome of the two-decade-long flawed state-building and democratisation, and the escalation of the insurgency than an overnight change in the country’s politico-military landscape. This paper examines Afghanistan’s failed democratization from 2001 to 2021 by focusing on five variables including stateness, welfare, rule of law, political regime, and political community. The paper explains how flawed progress in the five areas gradually eroded the democratisation process resulting in state collapse and the restoration of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate.

Combat-Genital Injury in UK Male Military Veterans: A Pilot and Feasibility Study Exploring Long-Term Psychosocial and Sexual Experiences and Support Needs

During the most recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, genital injuries were reported among male personnel at rates higher than previous conflicts. To date, research has focused predominantly on immediate medical management with limited published research exploring the long-term psychosocial and sexual impacts of combat-genital injury. This pilot study, therefore, aimed to explore the psychosocial and sexual health outcomes, experiences and support needs of military veterans who sustained combat-genital injuries and to assess the feasibility of conducting further research on this topic. A cross-sectional online survey design was used, comprising open and closed questions. Recruited through opportunity and snowball sampling, 11 eligible male UK veterans who had sustained a combat-genital injury completed the survey between March and July 2021. The results indicate that participants experienced long-term challenges related to their genital injury including low self-esteem, sexual function difficulties, and fertility concerns. The findings provide preliminary evidence of unmet long-term psychosocial, sexual, and fertility support needs among UK veterans with combat-genital injury. Further research is required to better understand the psychosexual wellbeing of combat veterans who have sustained physical injuries more broadly and to determine how best to provide psychosexual support to those who may benefit.

A game theoretic conflict analysis model with linguistic assessments and two levels of game play

In a conflict scenario, the domestic and international stake holders vye to safeguard their specific vested interests and objectives, like in the Syrian and Afghan conflicts. Knowledge about the position of domestic players can help both domestic and international players determine the root causes of conflict and work in groups to resolve the divergent issues. Due to complex nature of conflicts, it is pertinent to study conflict at domestic and international levels separately. For this purpose, we design a two-level conflict analysis model based on game theory and linguistic assessments of players. The first level deals with local players by playing a game between each of them in view of local issues and taking into account the local grouping. At the second level, game is played between local groups and international players regarding multiple issues. In this way, all the parties calculate the gains or losses of comparable actions of each other. Thus, the proposed model provides a comprehensive study of conflict. This paper studies Syrian conflict to validate the conflict analysis algorithm and explain the computations and results.

Sex Differences in Screening Positive for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Combat Injury.

U.S. military women were at risk of combat exposure and injury from asymmetric warfare during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Previous research has yielded mixed results when examining sex differences in PTSD following operational deployment. To date, no study has explored sex differences in PTSD after combat injury. This retrospective study included U.S. military service men and women who experienced a combat injury in Iraq or Afghanistan (March 2003 to March 2013) and completed a Post-Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) within 1 year of injury. The PDHA is administered at the end of deployment and includes the 4-item Primary Care PTSD Screen. The prevalence of screening positive for PTSD was evaluated by sex using a chi-square test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between sex and PTSD while adjusting for covariates. The study sample included 16,215 injured military personnel (666 women and 15,549 men). The average time between injury and PDHA was 132 days (SD = 91.0). Overall, women had a higher prevalence of screening positive for PTSD than men (48.3% vs. 40.9%, P < .001). In multivariable regression, women had higher odds than men of screening positive for PTSD (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.57). Psychiatric history was the strongest predictor of screening positive for PTSD regardless of sex (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.45-1.74). In this novel study of military service members, women were more likely to screen positive for PTSD than men after combat injury. Strategies to mitigate PTSD, enhance resiliency, and incorporate psychological care into injury rehabilitation programs for women may be needed for future U.S. military conflicts where they will play a larger role in combat operations.

The Merchant Networks of Afghan Sikhs: The Cold War, its Legacies and Beyond

This article documents the migration of Afghanistan’s Sikh communities to Asia and Europe during the Cold War and its aftermath. It analyses these migratory trajectories both in the context of conflict in Afghanistan and the refugee flows it created as well as in relation to the long-term role of Afghan Sikhs in transregional trade. The article argues that exploring Sikh migration from Afghanistan through the twin analytical lenses of trade networks and the Cold War helps to illuminate a more complex range of identities and experiences than allowed for by a singular focus on their status as either ‘refugees’ or migrants from ‘the Global South’.

Injuries in Fatalities of Dismounted Blast: Identification of Four Mechanisms of Head and Spine Injury.

Blast is the most common injury mechanism in conflicts of this century due to the widespread use of explosives, confirmed by recent conflicts such as in Ukraine. Data from conflicts in the last century such as Northern Ireland, the Falklands, and Vietnam up to the present day show that between 16% and 21% of personnel suffered a traumatic brain injury. Typical features of fatal brain injury to those outside of a vehicle (hereafter referred to as dismounted) due to blast include the presence of hemorrhagic brain injury alongside skull fractures rather than isolated penetrating injuries more typical of traditional ballistic head injuries. The heterogeneity of dismounted blast has meant that analysis from databases is limited and therefore a detailed look at the radiological aspects of injury is needed to understand the mechanism and pathology of dismounted blast brain injury. The aim of this study was to identify the head and spinal injuries in fatalities due to dismounted blast. All UK military fatalities from dismounted blast who suffered a head injury from 2007-2013 in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts were identified retrospectively. Postmortem computerized tomography images (CTPMs) were interrogated for injuries to the head, neck, and spine. All injuries were documented and classified using a radiology brain injury classification (BIC) tool. Chi-squared (χ2) and Fisher's exact tests were used to investigate correlations between injuries, along with odds ratios for determining the direction of correlation. The correlations were clustered. There were 71 fatalities from dismounted blast with an associated head injury with a CTPM or initial CT available for analysis. The results showed the heterogeneity of injury from dismounted blast but also some potential identifiable injury constellations. These were: intracranial haemorrhage, intracranial deep haemorrhage, spinal injury, and facial injury. These identified injury patterns can now be investigated to consider injury mechanisms and so develop mitigation strategies or clinical treatments. Level of Evidence: Observational. Study type: cohort observational.

Blast injury: Impact to the cornea

Visual disorders are common even after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or blast exposure. The cost of blast-induced vision loss in civilians, military personnel, and veterans is significant. The visual consequences of blasts associated with TBI are elusive. Active military personnel and veterans report various ocular pathologies including corneal disorders post-combat blasts. The wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Ukraine have significantly increased the number of corneal and other ocular disorders among military personnel and veterans. Binocular vision, visual fields, and other visual functions could be impaired following blast-mediated TBI. Blast-associated injuries can cause visual disturbances, binocular system problems, and visual loss. About 25% of veterans exposed to blasts report corneal injury. Blast exposure induces corneal edema, corneal opacity, increased corneal thickness, damage of corneal epithelium, corneal abrasions, and stromal and endothelial abnormality including altered endothelial density, immune cell infiltration, corneal neovascularization, Descemet membrane rupture, and increased pain mediators in animal models and the blast-exposed military personnel including veterans. Immune response exacerbates blast-induced ocular injury. TBI is associated with dry eyes and pain in veterans. Subjects exposed to blasts that cause TBI should undergo immediate clinical visual and ocular examinations. Delayed visual care may lead to progressive vision loss, lengthening/impairing rehabilitation and ultimately may lead to permanent vision problems and blindness. Open-field blast exposure could induce corneal injuries and immune responses in the cornea. Further studies are warranted to understand corneal pathology after blast exposure. A review of current advancements in blast-induced corneal injury will help elucidate novel targets for potential therapeutic options. This review discusses the impact of blast exposure-associated corneal disorders.

Access to care in Afghanistan after august 2021: a cross-sectional study exploring Afghans’ perspectives in 10 provinces

BackgroundThe Taliban takeover in August 2021 ended a decades-long conflict in Afghanistan. Yet, along with improved security, there have been collateral changes, such as the exacerbation of the economic crisis and brain drain. Although these changes have altered the lives of Afghans in many ways, it is unclear whether they have affected access to care. This study aimed to analyse Afghans’ access to care and how this access has changed after August 2021.MethodsThe study relied on the collaboration with the non-governmental organisation EMERGENCY, running a network of three hospitals and 41 First Aid Posts in 10 Afghan provinces. A 67-item questionnaire about access to care changes after August 2021 was developed and disseminated at EMERGENCY facilities. Ordinal logistic regression was used to evaluate whether access to care changes were associated with participants’ characteristics.ResultsIn total, 1807 valid responses were returned. Most respondents (54.34%) reported improved security when visiting healthcare facilities, while the ability to reach facilities has remained stable for the majority of them (50.28%). Care is less affordable for the majority of respondents (45.82%). Female respondents, those who are unmarried and not engaged, and patients in the Panjshir province were less likely to perceive improvements in access to care.ConclusionsFindings outline which dimensions of access to care need resource allocation. The inability to pay for care is the most relevant barrier to access care after August 2021 and must therefore be prioritised. Women and people from the Panjshir province may require ad hoc interventions to improve their access to care.

Armed conflicts and experience of intimate partner violence among women in Afghanistan: analysis of the 2015 Afghanistan DHS data

ObjectiveArmed conflicts and intimate partner violence (IPV) impose a burden on individual and societal well-being. Given the history of armed conflict in Afghanistan and the high prevalence of IPV, this...

Study protocol: Identifying transcriptional regulatory alterations of chronic effects of blast and disturbed sleep in United States Veterans.

Injury related to blast exposure dramatically rose during post-911 era military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is among the most common injuries following blast, an exposure that may not result in a definitive physiologic marker (e.g., loss of consciousness). Recent research suggests that exposure to low level blasts and, more specifically repetitive blast exposure (RBE), which may be subconcussive in nature, may also impact long term physiologic and psychological outcomes, though findings have been mixed. For military personnel, blast-related injuries often occur in chaotic settings (e.g., combat), which create challenges in the immediate assessment of related-injuries, as well as acute and post-acute sequelae. As such, alternate means of identifying blast-related injuries are needed. Results from previous work suggest that epigenetic markers, such as DNA methylation, may provide a potential stable biomarker of cumulative blast exposure that can persist over time. However, more research regarding blast exposure and associations with short- and long-term sequelae is needed. Here we present the protocol for an observational study that will be completed in two phases: Phase 1 will address blast exposure among Active Duty Personnel and Phase 2 will focus on long term sequelae and biological signatures among Veterans who served in the recent conflicts and were exposed to repeated blast events as part of their military occupation. Phase 2 will be the focus of this paper. We hypothesize that Veterans will exhibit similar differentially methylated regions (DMRs) associated with changes in sleep and other psychological and physical metrics, as observed with Active Duty Personnel. Additional analyses will be conducted to compare DMRs between Phase 1 and 2 cohorts, as well as self-reported psychological and physical symptoms. This comparison between Service Members and Veterans will allow for exploration regarding the natural history of blast exposure in a quasi-longitudinal manner. Findings from this study are expected to provide additional evidence for repetitive blast-related physiologic changes associated with long-term neurobehavioral symptoms. It is expected that findings will provide foundational data for the development of effective interventions following RBE that could lead to improved long-term physical and psychological health.

Girls on the Move

As we write these words to introduce this Special Issue, scores of girls and young women around the world are facing a myriad of challenges as they are forced to flee their homes, leaving behind friends, family, communities, and being propelled into uncertain and very often precarious migratory journeys. Without a doubt, we live in deeply troubling times. While numbers provide a mere glimpse into the devastating humanitarian crisis of forced displacement, they are shocking. Forced displacement, migration, and (re)settlement following conflict, violence, human rights violations, persecution, disasters, and the impacts of climate change, both in nations and across borders, is an ever-escalating crisis affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. Acknowledging that these numbers are unprecedented, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2023a) reported that by the end of June 2023, over 110 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide and projected that this number would increase to 130 million by the end of 2024. This projected increase takes into account the mass displacement caused by the war between Israel and Hamas as well as ongoing and escalating conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. While current headlines focus principally on the continuing crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, we cannot lose sight of the millions of forcibly displaced persons elsewhere in the world, including those in Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Syria, Türkiye, Myanmar, India, Venezuela, and Haiti. Recognizing regional diversity in the staggering numbers serves to underscore forced displacement as a transnational issue that requires urgent global attention.

The Warming Conflict: Climate Change and its Impacts on Afghanistan’s Ongoing Conflicts

There might be various and several reasons for the conflicts in Afghanistan, such as foreign political interventions, illiteracy, poverty, the geography of the country, ethnic and linguistic diversity, social injustice, various kinds of corruption, and generally a lack of rule of law. Climate change does not seem to be a direct factor in the conflicts in Afghanistan, but it is one of the main indirect factors in the conflicts. The link between climate change and conflicts in Afghanistan has not been the focus of studies yet, so little literature is found in the area. However, the intersection of climate change and conflict in Afghanistan presents a critical area of study, as environmental stressors exacerbate the already volatile socio-political landscape. Looking at the importance of the link between climate change and unresolved conflicts in Afghanistan, a literature review was done to find out how these two link to each other. Particularly, this paper explores the multifaceted impacts of climate change on Afghanistan's ongoing conflict, analyzing how rising temperatures, unpredictable precipitation, and extreme weather events contribute to resource scarcity and displacement, thereby fueling tensions and violence. Drawing on recent environmental data, conflict analysis, and case studies, the paper argues that climate change acts as a threat multiplier, intensifying competition over natural resources, undermining livelihoods, and complicating peacebuilding efforts. The findings underscore the urgency of integrating climate adaptation strategies into conflict resolution and development programs to foster long-term stability and resilience in Afghanistan. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for national and international stakeholders to address the nexus of climate change and conflict, emphasizing the need for collaborative, cross-sectoral approaches to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities for peace.