Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 58

Conflict has occurred throughout history between different tribes, ethnic groups, and nation‐states. Millions of people have been killed due to serious disagreements when negotiations break down and violence ensues. With the advent of modern weaponry, however, the stakes of fighting have become much higher. For instance, entire cities have been leveled. Such was the case in World War II when London, Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki were bombed with conventional or nuclear explosives. Shortly thereafter and during the Cold War, the fear of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union prompted the United States to invest heavily in civil defense initiatives. The goal was to prepare for such an attack, stockpile supplies, and evacuate and shelter citizens if required.

Perhaps there are fewer world wars today as compared to the past, but notable exceptions exist. There has been a great deal of intrastate fighting as in places such as Somalia, Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Libya and Syria. These internal civil wars are known as “complex emergencies.” They typically involve ethnic cleansing, a failed government, and economic turmoil that are sometimes combined with natural and environmental disasters and especially famines. Those responding to such events have been targeted by the warring factions. For example, relief workers in Iraq have been kidnapped and killed by the belligerent parties.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks caused the United States to intervene in Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein. It also pushed back the Taliban in Afghanistan. While these conflicts were protracted, there is a potential for even greater conflict in the Middle East due to ongoing tensions between Israel and its enemies (particularly Iran). And, there is also fear the United States will experience inter‐state conflicts with North Korea, China and Russia in the future. Tensions have been mounting and it is unknown if and when something might trigger hostilities.