Deaths from terrorism have risen more than 17 per cent around the world despite a decrease in the number of attacks, security consultancy Janes said.
Figures from the group show an increase of 2,543 deaths from terrorist activity in 2020 from 2019.
Using data from the 2020 Global Attack Index, Janes said there were 17,122 deaths from attacks by non-state armed groups, in a 17.4 per cent increase from 2019.
But the number of attacks decreased by 3.7 per cent during the same period to a total of 13,310 in 2020.
“The overall downturn in attacks can be largely attributed to the July ceasefire in Ukraine’s Donbass region, which resulted in attacks dropping by one third in the high-tempo separatist conflict,” said Matthew Henman, head of terrorism and insurgency at Janes.
“This decrease masked major shifts in violence in Afghanistan and key conflict zones in sub-Saharan Africa, though, where attacks and resultant fatalities rose dramatically.”
Janes said there were 2,373 attacks by terrorist groups in Afghanistan in 2020, making it the most dangerous country for the number recorded.
It was also the country with the most terrorism-related deaths, recording 6,617 last year, which was up 15.9 per cent from 2019.
“The fatality total accounted for more than one-third [38.6 per cent] of all non-militant fatalities worldwide, and was higher than the cumulative total of the next six deadliest countries,” Mr Henman said.
“Across 2020, the most attacks were recorded in Afghanistan, while the country, coupled with Syria and Ukraine, cumulatively accounted for more than half of all attacks worldwide.”
Janes said the increasing violence in Afghanistan was driven "almost exclusively" by Taliban attacks on security forces.
“The Taliban further challenged the Afghan state for control of territory across the year, as the group pushed to degrade security force capabilities and further strengthen its position for nascent peace talks with the government,” Mr Henman said.
“Attacks in Syria and Ukraine decreased by 29.1 per cent and 36.5 per cent respectively between 2019 and 2020, both offsetting the significant rise in Afghanistan and somewhat accounting for the overall decrease in attacks."
Mr Henman said there was a 50 per cent increase in attacks recorded in Iraq, rising to 1,466 in 2020.
“The increase in attacks in Iraq was largely driven by ISIS's Iraq province, which accounted for half of all recorded ISIS attacks worldwide in 2020," he said.
"Low-level asymmetric operations by the group rose in tempo across the year, alongside periodic mass-casualty attacks, underlining the slow but steady resurgence of the group following its territorial defeat in Iraq in November 2017."
Janes's data shows that attacks by ISIS rose 2.9 per cent. It said that indicated "a degree of stabilisation" after consecutive years of decreasing attack totals since 2016.
It said deaths from these attacks grew by 16.8 per cent.
"The rise in fatalities was principally a consequence of mass-casualty operations conducted by ISIS's West Africa province in the Lake Chad basin and the tri-border Sahel area," Mr Henman said.
Janes also recorded a significant increase in operations by ISIS's Central Africa province in north-east Mozambique, where local militants continued to challenge the security forces for control of key urban and commercial locations in Cabo Delgado province.
There were also double the number of attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo from the previous year.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470hp%2C%20338kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20620Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh491%2C500%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wes%20Ball%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Owen%20Teague%2C%20Freya%20Allen%2C%20Kevin%20Durand%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
