Conflict, climate change and the need for safe spaces: the interlocking problems that urgently need joined up solutions

摘要

At the time of writing, and with Bakhmut and Khartoum on fire, it was made public by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) that Europe saw its steepest year-on-year increase in military expenditure for at least 30 years and that global military expenditure had reached a new high (SIPRI 2023). There are of course numerous possible explanations for this with the ongoing war in Ukraine being the first and foremost. On a brighter note, Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to resume ties after seven years of tension, agreeing to reopen their respective embassies within the next two months (Nereim 2023). This is a much-needed glimmer of hope that will hopefully further the cause of peace in Yemen where Saudi Arabia and Iran support opposing sides.