Global calm dips as Ukraine war weighs on world peace

London, June 15 (EFE).- Afghanistan and Iceland continue to be the least and most peaceful countries, respectively, even as the average global peacefulness level has deteriorated in a continuing trend over the past 11 years.

In its 2022 global peace index released Wednesday, the Institute of Economy and Peace said the worst regional deterioration in peacefulness was in Russia and Eurasia.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine led to a massive rise in the number of deaths and deteriorations in peace indicators like refugees and internally displaced persons, political instability, and political terror.

“The conflict in Ukraine had immediate repercussions outside the Russia and Eurasia region, especially for the neighboring countries relations indicator, which recorded a sharp deterioration,” the institute said in the report.

The Global Peace Index ranks 163 independent states and territories, comprising 99.7 percent of the world’s population, according to their level of peacefulness.

The report presents data-driven analysis to date on trends in peace, its economic value, and how to develop peaceful societies.

“This year’s results found that the average level of global peacefulness deteriorated by 0.3 percent,” the report said.

“Although slight, this is the 11th deterioration in peacefulness in the last 14 years, with 90 countries improving, 71 deteriorating and two remaining stable in peacefulness, highlighting that countries tend to deteriorate much faster than they improve.”

Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. New Zealand, Ireland, Denmark, and Austria follow at the top of the index.

Afghanistan is the least peaceful country in the world for the fifth consecutive year, followed by Yemen, Syria, Russia, and South Sudan.

Steve Killelea, the founder and executive chairman of the institute, told EFE that the Ukraine conflict would cause global peace to fall substantially in the next 12 months.

He warned of the repercussions like inflation rates, supply chain disruptions, and rising food prices that would hit the most vulnerable in the world.

He said the political and economic consequences of the Ukraine conflict would remain for years. EFE

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