ABSTRACT
In 2018, the Middle East remained the world’s most volatile region: none of its seven active conflicts saw any serious prospect of settlement, while de-escalation efforts were both tentative and incomplete. The targeting of civilians, deliberate, characterised the major conflicts. In Syria, civilian communities were the primary target of the Syrian government’s bombing campaign, which strived to punish and displace rebel-friendly constituencies. The risk of escalation remained high in the both crowded and volatile battlefields. In February 2018, US forces responded with massive airpower to an advancing force of Russian mercenaries and allied Syrian forces in eastern Syria, killing hundreds. Peace processes and diplomatic initiatives designed to de-escalate or settle conflicts failed or stalled. A global crisis of governance and multilateralism affected the standing and efforts of the UN, just as the armed conflicts in the Middle East required further peacemaking support.
