Conflict and poverty
The global trade in arms has a massive human impact. By enabling conflicts to start and continue it destroys lives, undermines development and worsens poverty. Communities need security to be able to develop and prosper, and make sure they have access to food, housing, education and resources. Not only does conflict cause devastation to people's lives, but it also prevents any longer term improvements from taking place. Wars and violence often occur in areas that are already suffering from deprivation (this is one of the factors that may lead to the conflict) and it means they may not be able to be provided with necessary services such as schools, and health care. Conflict may also disrupt people's ability to earn a living or to farm their land, to go to market or to train for a new job.
If governments are spending money on weapons and war, it means they are not using it for other purposes. An average of $22 billion a year is spent on arms by countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. This sum could be spent on helping to achieve the Millennium Development Goals such as helping to achieve universal primary education (estimated at $10bn a year) and reduce infant and maternal mortality (estimated at $12bn a year).