Phaco tip-chopper flip technique for epinucleus removal in cataract surgery.

Wars and conflicts continue to be the concerning global threat in all life areas. In 2019, an estimated 132 million people in 142 countries were affected by war and violent conflict [, ]. Also, globally, 172 million people are affected by armed conflict, and at least 240 million children live in countries affected by conflict or fragility [, ]. The UN Refugee Agency reported that a record 117 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2023 [] and this number increased to 122 million people in 2024 []. During the first 6 months of 2024, more than 4.7 million people were forced to flee within their country due to armed conflicts, generalized violence, or human rights violations []. Low-income countries continued to host a disproportionately large share of the world’s displaced people, both in terms of their population size and the resources available to them []. In Africa, almost all countries have recently endured several significant events that resulted in wide-ranging societal impacts, causing the high statistics of significant trauma and loss through ethnic killings, forced servitude of child combatants, and sexual violence. A study conducted in Africa showed that many countries on this continent experience wars and conflicts []. A 2024 report reported that Africa currently has over 35 armed conflicts []. These disputes include groups fighting against governments and among themselves. Key countries involved are Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Somalia []. In addition to armed conflict, human rights violations persist. Governments often suppress dissent and restrict civil liberties []. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report that North Kivu in DRC has been plagued by conflict since the 1990s, with the first and second Congolese civil wars followed by decades of instability and violence. The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that the conflict has displaced more than 7.8 million []. With reference to the World Health Organization [], 20% of those affected by conflict experience a mental disorder and another one-tenth will go on to develop behaviors that negatively impact their well-being []. The contribution to these statistics was highly observed from African countries and they are the ones affected the most []. Populations affected by wars and conflicts suffer from psychological distress, including acute stress reactions and bereavement, both children and adults [–]. In a meta-analysis conducted on mental health outcomes related to trauma in conflict- or displacement-affected populations, Steel and colleagues found an adjusted post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence of 15.4% from the most rigorous studies []. This calls for quick and successful interventions to help victims cope with the problems they face and if it is possible, to put an end to those society-ruining conflicts and disputes.