Acknowledging the fact of having no substantive power, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres wants to be a convener, a mediator, a bridge-builder and an honest broker to help find solutions to world crises to benefit everyone involved.

The world is worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and geopolitical tensions that have sparked conflicts everywhere and impacted every person in the world.

Time desperately demands to value human beings and seeks support of all corners with a bigger role to be played by the world leaders.

With the daily increasing rate, as many as 540 million people (as of 12th of June 2022) are COVID infected while 63 million people have died of this eerie virus.

When almost all developed countries have completed vaccination for all their people even with a booster dose, a significant number of the world population is out of mass inoculation.

A recent study says the death rate among COVID patients is higher among those who did not take a vaccine. The death rate because of coronavirus is higher among the elderly and people with co-morbidly which means COVID-19 has intensified the frailty among the vulnerable people.

Developing and underdeveloped countries are at higher risk of being infected. Scientists fear that persistent pools of unvaccinated people around the world may pose a greater risk for the emergence of new variants of concern, such as Omicron.

It is also alarming that the conflict increases the rate for both cases. This huge population is not only unfortunate people but also a burden for the host countries to mainstream them to build a cohesive society. 

The unwelcomed consequences of COVID that the world anxiously notices are thousands of rich people becoming richer even during the crisis while the poor becoming poorer. The report says lower incomes contribute to the death of 21000 people of the world’s poorest each day. 

ILO and UNICEF warn COVID may push millions more into increasing child labor. WFP analysis shows that an additional 130 million would go into starvation because of COVID which would amass 265 million people.

However, insignificant initiatives have been taken so far worldwide even after repeatedly spoken by philanthropic groups and global civil society.

The effects of COVID-19 are enormous and even more than that is thought of, particularly the economic impact is huge.

The economic shock is somehow managed during the pandemic. However, the after effect is multi-faceted with a higher impact.

Developing countries are struggling to address the effects. Sri Lanka has been declared bankrupt as they have the lowest foreign reserve and is unable to pay the foreign loan. Political turmoil is an unexpected consequence of the coronavirus outbreak.

Climate change as a powerful driver of internal migration would force 86 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa; 49 million in East and the Pacific; 40 in South Asia, 19 in North Africa, 17 in Latin America and 5 million from Eastern Europe & Central Africa. It is cogently evident that developing and poor countries are the most sufferers of climate change.

Climate is another disastrous element that constricted the world too. Climate change is enormously affecting every aspect of human civilization wreaking the socio-economic system with the cascading effects.

Nature has started taking revenge because of doing injustice to it. The effects of climate change are huge on humans. Global warming has reached approximately 1°C above the pre-industrial level.

Increasing industrialization produced about 35 billion metric tons of carbon emission every year which impacts the citizens of those countries top who are less or not responsible for this emission.

Although listing the exhaustive list may not be possible, the dimensions of the impact of global warming vary across issues and locations.

It is very likely to have more heat waves and last longer; extreme precipitation with higher intensity and frequency. Environmentalists warn that the oceans will continue to warm and acidify and the global mean sea level will continue to rise. And all these have a devastating impact on human life.  

Occurrences of natural disasters increased over the years causing more harm to humanity. Not only developing countries but also developed countries with modern combatting facilities are the sufferers of the effects of natural disasters although developing nations suffer the most.

The World Bank found in a study titled “ Groundswell: Preparing for Internal Climate Migration” that about 143 million people would become internally displaced across the world.

Climate change as a powerful driver of internal migration would force 86 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa; 49 million in East and the Pacific; 40 in South Asia, 19 in North Africa, 17 in Latin America and 5 million from Eastern Europe & Central Africa. It is cogently evident that developing and poor countries are the most sufferers of climate change.

People from Syria, Ukraine, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Palestine and Yemen are suffering because of the conflict and are sacrificing their lives.

Whatever the issue of conflict, whatever the degree is, general people are encountering untold miseries. World military spending rose to about 2 trillion USD in 2020, even a 2.6% increase during the pandemic whereas thousands of people are dying of hunger in the poor part of the world.

The conflict forced people to lead a miserable life wreaking mental health and physical resources. The world has witnessed the devastating effect of the Afghan crisis on general people and more than half of the Afghan population is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.

Since the onset of the Russian invasion, one-third of Ukrainians have been forced from their homes, which is the largest displacement crisis in the world today.

Neighboring countries are providing shelter to more than 7.1 million Ukrainians while 15.7 million people are estimated to urgently require humanitarian assistance and protection.

The conflict that started on 24 February 2022 is unknown to come to an end rather it is being intensified both from the Russian side and Ukraine with the support of the USA and EU.

However, people mainly from Ukraine are the sufferers while people from other parts of the world are also sufferers indirectly as a result of sanctions on Russia.

The conflicts made illegal migration that reaches 84 million until mid-2021 and 4.3 million stateless. Additionally, about 25 million persons born in a third country are believed to live in the EU representing 5% of its total population.

However, learning gained by taking part in the war is so expensive and miserable that should be no way of continuing the conflict. In the end, people are the victims of war. We should not repent for the loss that could be stopped.

It is also alarming that the conflict increases the rate for both cases. This huge population is not only unfortunate people but also a burden for the host countries to mainstream them to build a cohesive society. 

Climate, COVID, Conflict – 3Cs are intertwined and intensify the sufferings of human beings. 3Cs not only constricted the world but also intensified the miseries of general people, a poor section in particular.

Saving the planet to save people and vice-versa should be set as the prime concern and people-friendly initiatives are imperatives.

The 3Cs are now a global problem and produce huge negative externalities. These are not problems of only those originating countries rather these effects transmit to other countries and do harm to all.

It is good news that hundred of millionaires want to pay more tax to benefit people in need, particularly during COVID. This gives a positive notion of people’s well-being.

People started thinking to realize the real meaning of life. Helping people and giving them a peaceful comfortable life is necessary to create a better world and lead a meaningful life.

Probably coronavirus has taught us the learning that big warheads or destructive weapons cannot protect us if nature takes revenge.

A small virus is ruling the whole world where people are quite helpless. Similarly, war does not provide any good to the human being; rather it produces mass destruction and is leaving people in distress.

However, learning gained by taking part in the war is so expensive and miserable that should be no way of continuing the conflict. In the end, people are the victims of war. We should not repent for the loss that could be stopped.