Araştırma Makalesi

The Impact of Armed Conflict on Under Five Mortality: Comparison of Syria and Romania with A Difference-in-Differences Method

Sayı: Reimagining Social Entanglement 30 Ekim 2025
PDF İndir
EN TR

The Impact of Armed Conflict on Under Five Mortality: Comparison of Syria and Romania with A Difference-in-Differences Method

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to reveal the effect of armed conflicts on the mortality rates of children under five. This research was conducted using a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences (DID) model on a quantitative longitudinal dataset from Syria and Romania between 2000 and 2023, using Jamovi Version 2.6. According to the findings, being in Syria increased the mortality rate of children under five by 8.9 times compared to Romania. During the period of armed conflict, the mortality rate of children under five in Syria was approximately 10 points higher than in Romania. The results showed that both being in Syria and armed conflicts led to higher mortality rates among children under five. This study clearly revealed the devastating effect of armed conflict on children's fundamental right to life, aiming to provide a concrete basis for improving preparedness and response mechanisms for future humanitarian crises. The research findings not only made significant contributions to the academic literature but also provided directly applicable insights for humanitarian aid and international development policies. The study also brought a new perspective to the field by examining the impact of armed conflict on child mortality under five using data from Syria, one of the most significant conflicts in recent years. The research provided evidence not only of direct violence but also of indirect health and nutrition disruptions. This evidence provides empirical evidence that decision-makers and those who regulate the laws of war can use, enabling more accurate policy development

Keywords

Armed conflict , causal inference , under five mortality , Romania , Syria

Kaynakça

  1. Alfaleh, R., Alsuwailem, W. A., Almazyad, R. T., Alanazi, F. F., Alanazi, L. T., Alfaleh, R., Alsuwailem, W. A., Almazyad, R. T., Alanazi, F. F., & Alanazi, L. T. (2025). The ımpact of armed conflicts on the prevalence, transmission, and management of ınfectious diseases: A systematic review. Cureus, 17. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.79450
  2. Arage, M. W., Kumsa, H., Asfaw, M. S., Kassaw, A. T., Dagnew, E. M., Tunta, A., Kassahun, W., Addisu, A., Yigzaw, M., Hailu, T., & Tenaw, L. A. (2023). Exploring the health consequences of armed conflict: The perspective of Northeast Ethiopia, 2022: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health, 23, 2078. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16983-z
  3. Armenakyan, N. (2025). End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age [WHO]. https://www.who.int/data/gho/da-ta/themes/topics/sdg-target-3_2-newborn-and-child-mortality
  4. Ayele, K. (2025). Impacts of Armed Conflicts on Healthcare and Nutrition Services in Ethiopia: A Narrative Review. Public Health Challenges, 4(3), e70099. https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.-70099
  5. Ayhan, E. (2024). Contemporary Studies on the Rights of Immigrant Adults and Children in Türkiye (1st ed.). Sakarya University, Scientific Publications Coordinatorship. https://doi.org/10.59-537/saupress.2378
  6. Bales, M., & Mutschler, M. (n.d.). A new autocratic way of war? Autocracy, precision strike warfare and civilian victimization. Defence Studies, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14702436.-2025.2522052
  7. Bendavid, E., Boerma, T., Akseer, N., Langer, A., Malembaka, E. B., Okiro, E. A., Wise, P. H., Heft-Neal, S., Black, R. E., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2021). The effects of armed conflict on the health of women and children. Lancet (London, England), 397(10273), 522–532. https://doi.org/10.-1016/S0140-6736(21)00131-8
  8. Bhusal, M. K., & Khanal, S. P. (2022). A Systematic Review of Factors Associated with Under-Five Child Mortality. BioMed Research International, 2022, 1181409. https://doi.org/10.1155-/2022/1181409
  9. Bonati, M. (2025). Child mortality following armed conflict: How long does it take to reduce to pre-conflict level? BMJ Paediatrics Open, 9(1), e003379. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003379
  10. Boukari, Y., Kadir, A., Waterston, T., Jarrett, P., Harkensee, C., Dexter, E., Cinar, E., Blackett, K., Nacer, H., Stevens, A., & Devakumar, D. (2024). Gaza, armed conflict and child health. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 8. https://doi.org/10.-1136/bmjpo-2023-002407

Kaynak Göster

APA
Çapar, H. (2025). The Impact of Armed Conflict on Under Five Mortality: Comparison of Syria and Romania with A Difference-in-Differences Method. OPUS Journal of Society Research, Reimagining Social Entanglement, 150-161. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1784544