‘Connect the dots’ between street protests and global turmoil, urges Guterres

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The international community must combat inequality and stop wars from expanding to ensure a safer world for all, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in New York ahead of a visit to Egypt, António Guterres addressed growing public discontent in Europe and beyond, as people have taken to the streets to express frustration over the rising cost of living.

“Everywhere, pressures are building over the price of food, fuel and other basics,” he said.  “Interest rates are up – for people and countries.  And for young people, the promise of a better future is slipping further out of reach.”

No fire without smoke

While Mr. Guterres clearly denounced the violence and destruction seen during days of protests in France, Italy and elsewhere – stressing that those responsible for criminal activities must be held accountable – he said legitimate grievances of the protestors cannot be overlooked.

“We must connect the dots and better understand how deeply linked those very real and peacefully expressed grievances are to the wider turmoil in our world,” he told journalists.

He said that today, conflicts are not only intensifying but expanding, which he likened to the El Niño climate phenomenon that occurs in one region but disrupts weather patterns and upends lives thousands of kilometres away.

Conflict fuelling conflict

“We are now witnessing an El Niño of war,” he warned, referring to the extreme weather pattern which threatens to upend the global climate in the coming months. “Conflict is feeding conflict. And the consequences are travelling farther and faster.”

The Secretary-General pointed to the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan, where civilians and civilian infrastructure – homes, hospitals, schools, airports, power stations and energy facilities – are deliberately coming under fire.

“But the consequences do not stop in the battle zones,” he continued, as war disrupts energy markets, shipping, supply chains and financial systems.

War feeds inequality

He said these shocks are hitting a world that was already profoundly unequal – “where some can absorb higher prices, while others must choose between food and heat”.

Moreover, while some countries can borrow more cheaply to protect their people, others must choose between paying off debt and investing in health, education and the future.

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“War does not create all these inequalities,” he said.  “But it feeds and exploits them – and exposes the fundamental unfairness of an economic system that forces those with the least to absorb the greatest shocks.”

Middle East cauldron

The Secretary-General insisted that “the answer cannot be an ever-widening circle of confrontation, including in the Middle East”.  Highlighting the situation in Yemen, he voiced concern over escalation around the city of Taiz and elsewhere and continued Houthi attacks against civilian targets in Saudi Arabia.

The violence is inflicting immense suffering on civilians, adding to regional tensions and increasing displacement and humanitarian needs, he said, appealing for restraint and political dialogue.

Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he noted that Israel is still severely restricting essential aid ahead of the winter season. Difficulties also persist around implementing the UN Security Council-backed Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.

Meanwhile, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank continue to suffer daily attacks by Israeli settlers, and journalists and diplomats are being attacked.

He appealed to donors to step up contributions to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) which urgently requires $450 million for its operations in Gaza and the West Bank for the next six months.

He also reiterated the need for a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians.

Security and dignity for all

The Secretary-General said that his message in Egypt will focus on stopping the widening of war, protecting civilians and creating the political space for diplomacy and peace.

“People everywhere want security. They want dignity. They want governments and international institutions to deliver,” he concluded.

“That means tackling the inequalities that divide societies – and stopping the conflicts that are multiplying human suffering, driving prices higher, draining resources from development, and pushing an already unequal world further apart.”