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!
