uch between the uniformed armed
forces of independent states as between stateless armed entities
that detract from the sustenance and welfare of local populations,
leaving the community of nations to cope with resultant refugees,
hunger, disease, impoverishment, and environmental degradation

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated
that in December 2006 there was a global population of 8.8 million
registered refugees and as many as 24.5 million IDPs in more than 50
countries; the actual global population of refugees is probably
closer to 10 million given the estimated 1.5 million Iraqi refugees
displaced throughout the Middle East (2007)

Trafficking in persons:

current situation: approximately 800,000 people, mostly women and
children, are trafficked annually across national borders, not
including millions trafficked within their own countries; at least
80% of the victims are female and up to 50% are minors; 75% of all
victims are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation; almost
two-thirds of the global victims are trafficked intra-regionally
within East Asia and the Pacific (260,000 to 280,000 people) and
Europe and Eurasia (170,000 to 210,000 people)
Tier 2 Watch List: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain,
Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Costa
Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Dominican Republic, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia,
Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, India, Jordan, Libya,
Malaysia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Niger, Panama, Republic of the
Congo, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Tier 3: Algeria, Burma, Cuba, Fiji, Iran, Kuwait, Moldova, North
Korea, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria
(2008)

Illicit drugs:

cocaine: worldwide coca leaf cultivation in 2007 amounted to 232,500
hectares; Colombia produced slightly more than two-thirds of the
worldwide crop, followed by Peru and Bolivia; potential pure cocaine
production decreased 7% to 865 metric tons in 2007; Colombia
conducts aggressive coca eradication campaign, but both Peruvian and
Bolivian Governments are hesitant to eradicate coca in key growing
areas; 551 metric tons of export-quality cocaine (85% pure) is
documented to have been seized or destroyed in 2005; US consumption
of export quality cocaine is