World
Conflicts surged across the world in 2024, data suggests
There was a steep rise in political violence over the past year, with Ukraine and Palestine considered the two major global hotspots of conflict.
The world experienced a further surge in conflicts in 2024, according to data provided by the NGO Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), which maps conflicts across the world’s regions.
Political violence increased by 25% globally in 2024 compared to 2023, with one in eight people exposed to conflict and 223,000 people killed, according to the NGO’s estimates.
The data also suggests that there has been a two-fold increase in global conflicts over the past five years.
Another study by the International Institute for International Studies (IIIS) concludes that the intensity and human toll of armed conflicts are also on the rise, with 37% more people killed in the year leading up to June last year compared to the previous year-long period.
According to ACLED, “Palestine is the most conflict-ridden country in the world”, and “the Middle East is the most affected region”.
It bases its assessment on four indicators: the deadliness, danger, diffusion, and fragmentation of armed conflicts.
It estimates that 81% of Palestine’s population is exposed to conflict, with 35,000 fatalities recorded in the past 12 months. On average, 52 conflict incidents occur in Palestinian territories per day.
Since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out in October 2023, the UN estimates that more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. ACLED puts the figure of fatalities in the Palestinian territories — including the West Bank and East Jerusalem — at over 50,000.
Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine continues to be the deadliest in the world, while Myanmar, where internal conflict has been raging since the military staged a coup in 2021, has the highest number of armed groups.
Where else are conflicts deepening?
There are an estimated 50 countries worldwide experiencing active conflict.
While Ukraine and Palestine are considered the two major global hotspots of conflict, analysts say other regions of the world are increasingly vulnerable to uprisings.
According to ACLED’s Conflict Watchlist for 2025, Mexico and Colombia in the Americas, Pakistan in Asia and Sudan, Sahel and the Great Lakes region of Africa are also “crisis areas” likely to evolve over the next 12 months.
Also on the watchlist are Myanmar, Ukraine, Iran and its allies, Israel, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon.
The UN estimates that 305 million people will require humanitarian assistance in 2025, as their needs are further driven by conflict and violence.
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies warns that the humanitarian needs of people in places such as Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine will “likely remain severely underfunded despite obligations to protect the delivery of humanitarian aid under international humanitarian law.”
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
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The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Norway has pushed back against criticism from US President Donald Trump over what he described as “zero” European support in the conflict with Iran.
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“NATO is a defensive alliance. It is not an attack alliance,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Euronews’ Europe Today flagship morning show.
Eide said NATO members are focused on safeguarding key global trade routes, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. “NATO countries are doing something, but it’s not as a party to a conflict,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not backing Washington in the Iran conflict. He raised the issue again during a White House meeting earlier this month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Eide argued that there had been no prior preparation or consensus within the alliance. As a result, there is “very limited appetite” among member states to join the war.
He said that while both the US and Iran may have reasons to end the conflict, “the sides are far apart”, with negotiations hindered by opposing demands.
On Monday, Trump said the United States would maintain its blockade of Iranian ports until Tehran agrees to a peace deal.
Still, Eide pointed to signs of “some progress”, noting the broader global impact of the conflict. “This is not only an issue for the two sides, but it affects the whole world economy,” he said.
Addressing a European diplomatic push to establish a Palestinian state, Eide reiterated support for a two-state solution based on long-standing United Nations principles. However, he acknowledged that such an outcome is “not around the corner”.
He added that a two-state solution is also in Israel’s interest, describing it as “the only viable solution for real peace in a very troubled region”.
Norway, alongside Spain and Ireland, recognised the State of Palestine in 2024.
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