In the 2026 UN speeches, a familiar phrase was repeated.
Argentine President Javier Milei criticized political opponents and globalist systems, stating they seek to “continue living at the expense of others/taxpayers”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that “colonial and neo-colonial tendencies are succinctly defined as the ambition to live at the expense of others.“
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly “One party’s development must not come at the expense of others.“
When I heard this phrase it caused me to dig deeper into current world conflicts. In addition to military and civilian lives lost, other casualties of wars include physical and mental health scars. I hope you let the following information sink in.
The latest federal figures report 32,495 homeless veterans, reflecting a modest 1% decrease from the previous year.
Early humans engaged in warfare in only the very broadest sense.
“For most of our species’ history, it would have been very small, unorganized, decentralized raids very similar to what you see in chimpanzees,” says Luke Glowacki, an assistant professor of anthropology at Boston University, and an expert on the evolution of war. During this time, he says, “a group of individuals [might] encounter someone from another group and kill them.”
As of today, approximately 130 active armed conflicts occur across the globe. America is not technically at war because Congress has not formally declared any wars since 1942. We are involved in four direct military operations:
Iran Conflict
Red Sea Crisis
Counter-ISIS Operations
Somalia
America provides Major Military & Intelligence Support to Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon.
Low-intensity fighting continues. $43.6B Pentagon / $135B+ independent est. 19-23 US KIA. 850+ wounded. 9,045+ killed. No congressional vote. No end in sight. Every statistic on this page represents a real person.
Red Sea security crisis grows.
It should be noted that the US has also increased pressure on the Sudanese army over the civil war in Sudan. The US wanted a ceasefire. It didn’t get one at the recent UN General Assembly. Other issues may be afoot, such as the conflict in Libya, amid reports that Saddam Haftar was in the UAE for meetings in September.
“As we step back and hand full primary responsibility for Iraq’s security to the Government of Iraq and the brave people of Iraq, U.S. and Coalition forces stationed across the region will remain ready to respond to any ISIS threats that arise,” said Cooper. “Maintaining our vigilance and readiness is essential to protecting the U.S. homeland and strengthening regional security.”
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) conducted airstrikes targeting al-Shabaab on Sep. 25, 2026. The airstrikes occurred in the vicinity of Welmaro, approximately 40 km west of Jilib, as well as in the vicinity of Ali Farhan, approximately 90 km northeast of Jilib. AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten U.S. forces and our citizens abroad. Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.
Support to Ukraine
Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said his office had verified some 15,280 civilians killed and injured in Ukraine during the first eight months of this year – on average more than 400 every week, and 55 per cent more than in the same period in 2025.
“The full-scale invasion unleashed by the Russian Federation is killing and injuring hundreds of people every week, as frontlines barely move,” he said, noting that apartment buildings, schools, medical centres, railways and shops had been hit in recent attacks.
Gaza and Lebanon
Dozens of Israeli attacks have targeted Lebanese army units deployed in the south over the past three years, with friction at times between the two armies.
This has continued despite coordination through the United States and, previously, through the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), pointing to tensions that have stopped short of confrontation.
The attacks and coordination arrangements will be discussed at a US-sponsored military negotiating session between representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli armies at US Central Command headquarters in Florida on Oct. 20.
In order to get a complete list of all World Conflicts going on now that are at the expense of human lives, the following information was provided by AI.
Note: Global monitors expand these categories into roughly 130 legally recognized conflicts by counting every individual non-state armed group (such as the dozens of distinct factions in eastern Congo, Syria, and Myanmar) as a separate party to an independent conflict under international humanitarian law
There are more than 45 active conflicts in Middle East & North Africa
The Regional Iran War / Proxy Matrix
Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
West Bank Insurgency
Lebanon War
Red Sea Crisis
Syrian Civil War
Turkish Military Operations in Syria
Russian Military Intervention in Syria
U.S.-Led Coalition Operations in Syria
Israeli Military Strikes in Syria
Yemeni Civil War
Al-Qaeda Insurgency in Yemen
Iraq Internal Conflict
Turkish Interventions in Iraq
U.S. Operations in Iraq
Libyan Crisis
Egypt (Sinai Insurgency)
Western Sahara
Sub-Saharan Africa (35+ Active Conflicts)
19. Sudanese Civil War
20. South Sudanese Tribal Conflicts
21. Abyei Border Conflict
22. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
23. DRC - Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Insurgency
24. DRC - Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA)
25. DRC - Ituri Conflict
26. DRC - Katanga Insurgency
27. Somali Civil War
28. U.S. Counter-Terrorism Operations in Somalia
29. Nigeria - Boko Haram Insurgency
30. Nigeria - Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
31. Nigeria - Bandit Conflict
32. Nigeria - Biafra Insurgency
33. Nigeria - Herder-Farmer Conflicts
34. Cameroon (Anglophone Crisis)
35. Mali War
36. Burkina Faso Insurgency
37. Niger Insurgency
38. Central African Republic (CAR) Civil War
39. Mozambique (Cabo Delgado Insurgency)
40. Ethiopia (Amhara Region Fano Conflict)
41. Ethiopia (Oromia Insurgency)
42. Chad Insurgency
43. Senegal (Casamance Conflict)
Asia (21+ Active Conflicts)
44. Myanmar Civil War
45. Myanmar (Rohingya Conflict)
46. Afghanistan-Pakistan Border War
47. Afghanistan (ISIS-K Insurgency)
48. Afghanistan (National Resistance Front)
49. Pakistan (Balochistan Insurgency)
50. Pakistan (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan / TTP)
51. India-Pakistan Border Conflict
52. India (Kashmir Insurgency)
53. India (Naxalite–Maoist Insurgency)
54. India (Northeast Insurgencies)
55. India-China Border Dispute
56. Philippines (Moro Conflict)
57. Philippines (New People’s Army Insurgency)
58. Thailand (Deep South Insurgency)
59. Cambodia-Thailand Border Conflict
60. Papua Conflict (Indonesia)
Europe (7+ Active Conflicts)
Centered around state-level warfare and ongoing territorial military occupations:
61. Russo-Ukrainian War
62. Russian Military Occupations
Latin America (6+ Active Conflicts)
Classified as armed conflicts due to the high militarization, territory control, and heavy weaponry utilized by cartels and insurgent networks:
63. Mexican Drug War
64. Mexican Cartel Infighting
65. Colombian Conflict (ELN Insurgency)
66. Colombian Conflict (FARC Dissidents)
67. Colombian Conflict (Clan del Golfo)
68. Ecuadorian Security Crisis
69. Paraguayan Insurgency
I end this factual post not with a political claim, but with a question of human ethics. We have built a world where living at the expense of others is normalized. How we choose to respond to that reality gives real pause for reflection.