Everyone suffers the consequences of war and bears the brunt even those whose community, state, or country is not directly involved in the confrontation. Apart from having effects on people, it also affects the economy as well as the political and social environments.

War leads to death. During a confrontational war, the majority of the victims die through direct attacks using physical, chemical, and biological means in form of weapons and ammunition. Others die from exposure, epidemics, or as a result of (sexual) violence, hunger, and accidents. Since World Wars 1 and 2 which resulted in not less than 67 million people, according to Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC),

around 800,000 people have still died in violent conflicts between 1989 and 2010 since the end of the Cold War, according to Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) as reported by BICC.

Psychologically, fear and insecurity resulting from experiences of war leave traces leave post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Another consequence of war is the transformation of national citizens into refugees.

War annihilates state and community and curtails citizens’ freedoms. War disrupts livelihood, severs relationships and families, and wipes off infrastructure (e.g. water supply, power, healthcare, and transportation systems)

Macroeconomic effects such as inflation, limitations regarding savings, investments, aids, and exports as well as increased debt are among the costs of war. These consequences affect civilians and soldiers alike.

Tip to avoid the effects of conflict and war

Preaching justice and fairness is key to a wave of sustainable peace in dealing with the negative effects of war. Image by Angela Yuriko Smith from Pixabay

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1. Focus your resources on more important things

When dealing with the aftermath of a conflict or war, it’s important to focus your resources on more important things. Endeavour to trim down your tasks, commitments, and responsibilities in order to just do what’s important. You will be judged as an achiever for getting through each day successfully.

Conserve your physical and emotional energy by cutting down on shopping and cooking expenditure, suspend unnecessary obligations until relief or recovery is in view, and just focus on what really needs to be done.

2. Reduce the amount of stress

People become anxious when there is a conflict or war and experience a crisis triggered by their body’s stress response. This keeps them in a state of constant stress.

Many find it difficult to feel “relaxed” in the midst or aftermath of a war crisis. Practicing stress relief techniques that can reduce the intensity of your stress levels, help reverse your occasional stress response, in order to feel more resilient and irrepressible in the face of uncertainties.

3. Practice healthy living

Take good care of yourself in order to reduce the effect of war on your daily living and survive plausible unforeseeable eventualities. Try well enough to eat a healthy diet. Life may seem more difficult due to inflation and lack of resources. While eating well, get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and do other things to keep your body functioning at its best.

4. Promote peace initiative and service of justice in a secured system

Support civil society in the peace process and call for justice, equity, and fairness in resolving the negative effects of any war. Conflict management, dialogue, and peace-building enable these societies to find long-term, common solutions contributing toward stabilization of the region over the long term.

5. Avoid areas or environments likely to cause violent conflicts in the future.

Environmental factors like exploitation of natural resources and related environmental stresses can be implicated in all phases of the conflict cycle, from contributing to the outbreak and perpetuation of violence to undermining prospects for peace. Access and flow of water, land degradation, floods, and pollution, in addition to competition over extractive resources, can directly exacerbate tensions and lead to the eruption of conflicts, as is the case for resource depletion issues such as deforestation, and soil erosion, and desertification.

6. Seek support

If you have problems setting down or resettling due to the impact of war, find support. Seek collaboration, partnership, or any other form of support convenient for your growth and sustainability.

Finding support is a clever and responsible way to reestablish yourself. Let others lighten your load by helping with tasks or providing a supportive ear or hand. You can repay the favour later when you’re up to it and they need something.

You can feel better from receiving support, and others will probably feel better by being able to do something to help. That’s what friends do best.

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7. Acquire more knowledge and put your experience into practice

Acquire new knowledge about the effect of a war in an environment and implement it and the methods into practice. It could be knowledge of new investment opportunities or what society needs and wants to improve on. Education and further training can be good means of achieving that.