War brings many complexities with widespread human rights abuses and violations of international laws. For many people across the world war is the great opportunity to earn money along with profit. For those who benefit financially, the pain and devastation experienced by entire nations are less significant than the billions of dollars made from selling weapons. This is the reason behind the creation of sad irony, “ many of those who loudly advocate for human rights are the same ones supporting the global arms trade.” This arms trade business violates human rights greatly.
This clearly highlights that sometimes making money is more important than human rights and people forget the difference between rights and wrong. This also causes more pain and suffering. War destroyed many communities and also took the lives of many innocent ones. But at the same time it also makes some people rich because they care about money rather than the lives of others. The big difference between making money and the loss of human lives is a sad reality, where money often matters more than doing the right thing.
According to the Geneva Academy there are about 110 active wars in the world. And most of it happened in the Global South. Furthermore, many Western countries and companies influenced these wars. The worst example of all of this is the Gaza conflict. Gaza, which is a very poor and isolated area, is also suffering from many complexities nowadays. The Lancet journal reported that if on June 19, the war had ended then about 7.9% of people living in Gaza would have died. This is the huge number of deaths such as 186,000.
These people do not lose their life because of any disease or natural disaster but due to brutal war. And this war is fueled by arms sent to Israel. Many institutes have expressed serious concerns such as the International Court of Justice and Criminal Court. They also got evidences that suggesting genocide and deliberate extermination of Palestinians. The situation in Gaza is very worse and instant action is necessary to bring peace and stop further loss of life.
Many Western countries countries including the United States are still sending weapons to Israel. While some European countries say they are cutting back or stopping their arms supplies, they still find ways to continue.
For instance, Italy says it has to honor old contracts, and the United Kingdom has paused arms licenses while it reviews things.
The United State is the biggest supporter of Israel to send arms. In 2016, a deal was held between the UNited States and Israel. It was about the US helping Israel by giving $38 in military aid through 2028. But when the war between Israel and Palestine started this aid increased. The nation added more $26 billion in aid. Despite the fact that most of the victims in Gaza are civilians, including many women and children.
So, when the US calls for peace while still sending more weapons to Israel, it seems very hypocritical. The same goes for other Western countries that say they support human rights and peace but are major arms exporters. According to SIPRI, six Western countries are among the top 10 arms exporters, with the U.S. having the biggest share. This shows that the West, which says it supports peace, is actually fueling conflicts around the world.
The Global South needs to wake up and challenge this injustice. It should not be acceptable for their regions to just be utilized as markers for Western countries. The people who live in Arab countries, Africa and Asia should never sacrifice their lives. Also they should never bear this injustice to boost the economy of Western nations.
No doubt that stopping the arms is the only solution to stop conflict. But as long as weapons keep flowing to areas of conflict, like Gaza, Sudan, Congo, and Burma, the cycle of violence will persist.
It is important for all countries such as Israel and Burma to follow the international laws. And respecting human rights is one of their top priorities. But the reality is that words alone don’t help when Western countries keep supplying the weapons used for killing, with no moral or legal consequences.