Global Failures in Preventing Genocides and Atrocities

Source: The post Global Failures in Preventing Genocides and Atrocities has been created, based on the article “Genocide and the world’s averted gaze” Published in “The Hindu” on 27th January 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2- International Relations-Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

Context: The article discusses the Holocaust, genocide at Auschwitz, and international failures to prevent atrocities in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur, and Gaza. It questions global inaction, the line between self-defense and genocide, and the unequal treatment of suffering.

For detailed information on Genocide convention: Preventing genocide read this article here

What happened at Auschwitz during the Holocaust?

1. On January 27, 1945, Soviet soldiers liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau. They discovered 8,000 emaciated prisoners and evidence of mass killings, including 44,000 pairs of shoes, spectacles, and cooking utensils.
2. Approximately 1.1 million people, mostly European Jews, were murdered at Auschwitz.
3. The Nazis destroyed records to hide the full scale of the killings.
4. The Holocaust killed six million Jews and tens of thousands of Roma, Sinti, and others deemed inferior.

How did genocide unfold in Nazi Germany?

1. The Nazis codified Jewish persecution through laws like the 1935 Nuremberg Laws. Jews lost citizenship and faced emigration restrictions.
2. Countries like the U.S. and U.K. imposed strict immigration policies, leaving many Jews unable to escape. As Germany invaded Europe, Jews were rounded up for extermination.

How Did the Allies respond to the Holocaust?

1. The Allies were aware of Nazi atrocities by 1942 through reports like the Riegner Telegram and the Polish Government-in-Exile’s pamphlet The Mass Extermination of Jews in German Occupied Poland (December 1942).
2. Despite evidence, action was limited. At the Evian Conference (1938), 32 countries offered only sympathetic statements but no concrete solutions.
3. By the Bermuda Conference (1943), mass killings were unambiguous, yet the Allies failed to act decisively to aid Jewish refugees.
4. Bureaucratic obstacles, xenophobia, and restrictive immigration laws in the U.S. and U.K. further prevented Jews from escaping Nazi persecution.

Have genocides occurred after the Holocaust?

Despite the promise of “Never again,” genocides continued:

Cambodia (1975-79): The Khmer Rouge killed over two million people.

Rwanda (1994): 800,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days.

Srebrenica (1995): 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were massacred in a UN-declared safe zone.

Darfur (2003-05): About 200,000 people were killed in Sudan.

What is happening in Gaza today?

1. Gaza faces severe destruction. Over 47,000 people, mostly women and children, have died.
2. The UN reports 92% of homes, 87% of schools and much infrastructure destroyed.
3. Healthcare infrastructure is devastated, and entire populations have been displaced multiple times.
4. 10,000 people are estimated to be missing under the rubble.
5. Gaza remains under siege, with foreign press barred from entering.
6. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating genocide charges against Israeli and Hamas leaders.
7. Despite the destruction, arms continue to flow to Israel. This reflects a global tendency to prioritize political alliances over humanitarian concerns.

Why is there criticism of global responses?

The international community often ignores or delays action during genocides. Gaza highlights unequal treatment, with some leaders defending actions that may cross into genocide. This questions the global tendency to “look away” from such crises.

Question for practice:

Examine how the Holocaust and subsequent genocides reflect global failures in preventing atrocities and addressing humanitarian crises.