Global terrorism cost $90b in 2015

The number of deaths caused from terrorism in 2015 was 29,376 .

The financial impact of global terrorism in 2015 hit a whopping $89.66 billion (Dh327 billion), said Peter Thomas Drennan, UN Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security.
During the first day of the Unity for Security Conference on Tuesday, held under the patronage of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, he said the growing rates of sophisticated criminal bodies by terrorist organisations, including Daesh, has caused a huge global financial loss.
He pointed out that the $89.66 billion is merely one per cent of the global impact of violence in 2015, which reached $13.6 trillion.
Drennan said the number of deaths caused from terrorism in 2015 was 29,376 (Global Terrorism Index), and since 2000, there have been 73,000 terrorist attacks globally, killing more than 170,000 people.
"There were 40 armed conflicts in 2015, which resulted in over 167,000 deaths and 12.1 million refugees," he noted.
When instability and refugee numbers rise, terrorist activities - whether in reality or on the virtual landscape - also increase.
Drennan stressed that when state governments look at crime and organised crime, including terrorism and armed conflict, governments are in fact looking at symptoms of underlined causes.
"These symptoms relate to the social, political and economic factors. So when we talk about cooperation, we talk about collaboration, we talk about trust... So we need to look far more broadly at the symptoms."
Symptoms driving the rise of terrorist activities include poverty, unemployment, high birth rates, economical stress, lack of export resources, high level of state of emergencies, human rights abuse and a lack of state security."
While speaking at the opening ceremony, Lieutenant-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that ensuring the well-being of humanity is a crucial aspect, which as a result, helps prevent criminals from forming.
"The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan understood the importance of cultivating human resources through comprehensive development and achieving quality of life, prosperity and well-being for the people, by establishing a modern and advanced infrastructure, promoting education and health, prospecting the future and encouraging an environment conducive to creativity and innovation."
He also underlined the UAE's commitment to the success of the three-day forum, which is held at ADNEC, and urged delegates to support Interpol in its efforts to combat crime.
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Abu Dhabi