Most of us are lucky enough to live in countries that are safe and secure, with war being nothing
more than a thing we read about online or see on TV.
However, around the world many millions of people live in active war zones, with a shocking
1 in 6 children, or 357 million, living in the midst of armed conflict.
What would you do if tomorrow your neighborhood was ground zero for the world's next big conflict?
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Infographics Show- today we're going to take
a look at some tips on how to survive in a war zone with zero military training.
The Council on Foreign Relations lists 25 major active conflicts in the world today,
with ten of them marked as worsening and only 1 as improving.
This may sound pretty bad, but it's actually the best the human race has ever done.
The period after the second world war may have seen the rise of nuclear powers and the
threat of global thermonuclear war, but it has in fact been the most peaceful period
in recorded history.
This is mostly due to the rise of the US and the Soviet Union as global superpowers immediately
after World War II- with the rest of the world lining up behind one or the other of these
two heavyweights there wasn't much room for the constant interstate conflict that plagued
Europe for thousands of years.
Paradoxically though the world had never been closer to the brink of ultimate destruction,
it was exactly that threat of guaranteed global extinction that made everyone behave.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, America quickly moved to create a new world order
through a mix of political, financial, and military power.
With Theodore Roosevelt's adage fresh in its collective mind- speak softly but carry a
very big stick- the US sought to create a global trade network that ensured nations
would have too much to lose if they decided to pursue war against each other, while simultaneously
strengthening NATO and protecting this new age of global trade with the most powerful
navy in the world.
While conflicts continue today, they are mostly low-intensity, and even the US invasion of
Iraq and Afghanistan, or the Syrian civil war, pale in comparison to the full-theater
wars of yesteryear.
With nations trading freely between each other, there's simply too much prosperity at stake
for anyone to start pulling the trigger.
But armed conflict does still happen, and the relative peace of the last 80 years has
no guarantee of lasting forever.
So what could you do to survive in a war zone if you have no military training?
In order to survive in a war zone you're going to need to focus on four key priorities: food,
water, shelter, and security.
In the midst of an active war chances are pretty high that traditional government services
are going to collapse, and you'll need to be prepared to fend for yourself and your
family.
The first priority is food and water.
For the first time in history more people live in cities than live in the countryside,
and that means that more people are dependent on an ever dwindling population of farmers
for their food security than ever before.
Cities are the nexus of modern civilization and the birthplace of every great technological
and cultural revolution, but they are also completely non-self sufficient, and depend
on a steady influx of foodstuffs from other agrarian regions.
Many cities, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, also import the vast majority of their drinking
water from far off sources, which means that in the event of government services shutting
down due to war, all that food and water you consume on a daily basis are going to very
quickly disappear.
Your best option would be to raid a local supermarket and get your hands on non-perishable
foodstuffs such as canned goods and bottled water.
A human being needs to drink about eight, eight ounce glasses of water a day- or half
a gallon- in order to survive.
In an emergency this can be rationed to about a tenth of a gallon, though not for very long.
Food can stretch even further- you can survive on average without eating for about 21 days,
with your body living off fat reserves.
However, cutting out water completely will kill you in three days flat.
If you happen to be caught in a short-term conflict, you might be able to get by raiding
local supermarkets, but your thinking should always be focused on the long-term.
The best advice thus would be to flee urban areas and head to the countryside.
A small freshwater lake should provide enough fishing and game to hunt to ensure survival,
though if you're like the average city slicker you probably don't have much in the way of
survival skills and might find yourself struggling.
Practice makes perfect though, and there's no motivator quite like a grumbling stomach.
You might however be able to locate help from international aid agencies such as the Red
Cross.
Depending on who is taking part in the conflict you are caught up in, you might actually be
able to find some aid from military forces in your local area.
The United States for example often accompanies its armed forces with large amounts of emergency
relief personnel and supplies to help people caught in conflict zones.
And speaking of the United States- if you are in the US when conflict arises, try to
find out the location of the nearest federal emergency response hub.
These are typically small to mid-sized airports located in geologically stable and strategically
important locations across the country, such as Bob Hope Airport just outside Los Angeles.
These are the locations that US forces and emergency relief personnel are first deployed
to and make their home base for ongoing operations, and your best bet to find food, water and
shelter.
However if you're unable to get help from friendly forces, you should be prepared to
scrounge for food and water.
Unfiltered water can be dangerous to drink, but you can build a homemade water filter
pretty easily with materials you can find just about anywhere.
Simply take a plastic bag and line the bottom of it with several inches of thoroughly ground-up
charcoal.
Then put a layer of fine sand between four and six inches above the layer of charcoal.
Place another layer of small rocks on top of the sand, followed by another layer of
sand four to six inches and yet another small layer of small rocks.
Then pour the water onto the top of the bag and cut a small hole in the bottom of the
bag under the charcoal.
While this isn't a foolproof way to purify water, it will limit the amount of impurities
and help keep you healthy.
Your next priority for surviving a war zone is going to be shelter.
Many people simply choose to stay put and let war rage around them- in the midst of
World War II many thousands of people continued to live out their lives amidst the rubble
of their bombed-out homes, creating makeshift shelters out of the wreckage.
With the advent of smart munitions there's no need anymore for the mass-carpet bombing
of the past, but only a small number of nations in the world, to include the US, the UK, Germany,
and France, use smart munitions in significant numbers.
While for example the vast majority of the American arsenal consists of GPS or laser-guided
munitions, Russia and China still overwhelmingly rely on 'dumb' and unguided bombs that can
indiscriminately target civilians and military targets.
Your best bet is to be prepared, and a major ground offensive in your neighborhood could
ultimately reduce your home to a bullet-ridden ruin anyway.
Staying in large communal groups can be advantageous as it will help provide shared security, and
with a spirit of community people can help each other out which increases everyone's
odds of survival.
However, this can also lead to competition for dwindling resources, and might make you
a target for armed forces that don't observe modern rules of war and see civilians as fair
targets.
Once more, fleeing a major population center is in your best interest, in which case you
will likely have to learn to build a makeshift shelter or try to find a smaller community
you can take refuge in.
If you find yourself forced to build a shelter, the focus should be on ensuring it is watertight
and secure against wild animals.
A simple lean-to may be enough for the first few days, but eventually you're going to want
to start thinking bigger and better.
As advanced carpentry skills are out of the question for most people, places such as caves,
sewers, or subway tunnels are excellent long-term shelters.
Whatever shelter you choose, it should ideally be far away from ongoing conflict and if possible
have both a main entrance and an emergency exit.
You should also take steps to ensure you conceal your presence as best you can and generally
not draw attention to yourself to prevent looters or hostile military patrols from discovering
you.
Lastly, your final priority is going to be security.
Wherever you take shelter and however you find food and water, the most important thing
is to remain safe.
While most nations obey international rules of war that prevent the deliberate targeting
of civilians, you don't want to take any chances.
Avoid contact with any military personnel whatsoever if you can help it, unless they
are obviously friendly.
You especially want to make sure you do not accidentally surprise or stumble upon a military
unit out on patrol- with soldiers on high alert against asymmetric threats such as suicide
bombers and the like, nothing can be more stressful for a soldier on patrol than stumbling
across an unexpected civilian.
You should understand that in a soldier’s eyes you represent a significant and unknown
threat, and thus if you do accidentally stumble across a patrol the first thing you should
do is show that you are non-threatening.
Drop any equipment you are carrying to include backpacks and place your hands in the air.
If you are armed, place your weapon slowly on the ground, with the muzzle pointed away
from any military personnel.
If possible, remove the magazine from your weapon and expel any rounds in the chamber,
then once it is on the ground take several slow steps back away from the weapon.
This will signify that you are not a threat, and help relieve tension on both sides.
Generally you will want to avoid being spotted with a weapon by military personnel in an
active war zone, as modern urban conflict often makes it difficult to tell the difference
between combatants and non-combatants, even if they are dressed in civilian attire.
With the threat of IEDs, suicide bombers and ambushes though, military units operating
in urban areas are constantly on high alert and under a great deal of stress- you don't
want to end up on the wrong end of a jittery soldier's rifle.
However the reality of war is that you will almost certainly need a weapon in order to
defend yourself and your family from rogue military forces or looters.
If you don't already own a weapon, you will want to keep your eyes out for an opportunity
to grab one.
The immediate area after an intense firefight between military forces may be an excellent
opportunity to scavenge a rifle, however it will likely come with great risk.
However you acquire a weapon, you will quickly need to learn to properly operate it if you
don't already have firearms training.
Luckily, modern battle rifles around the world are universally simple to operate, and the
act of loading and chambering a round is pretty intuitive as soon as you get your hands on
one.
Aiming however is a bit trickier, and not as simple as you might see in the movies.
To properly aim, you want to press your cheek firmly against the buttstock of the rifle
and gently lay your face down until your eye comes down level with the rear metal sight.
Looking through the rear sight you will then want to place the front sight post directly
in the center of the rear sight- this will ensure your rifle is level.
Then simply place the front sight post over your target while keeping it center within
the rear sight, and shift your focus from your target to the very tip of the front sight
post.
Your intended target should go blurry, but the very tip of your front sight post should
be in perfect, sharp focus.
Then gently squeeze the trigger.
Surviving in a war zone is the most difficult challenge a human being can face, yet many
manage to do just that every day.
While you should thank your lucky stars that you're one of the lucky millions that live
in relative peace and safety, it doesn't hurt to be prepared.
So, what would be your survival strategy in a war zone?
What kind of war might happen in your home country?
Let us know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out our other video What Would It Take To Sink USS Gerald R Ford
Aircraft Carrier?
Thanks for watching, and as always, please don’t forget to like, share and subscribe.
See you next time!