A serious global issue, armed conflict results in widespread human rights violations and casualties, destabilizing entire regions. It imposes immense costs on the affected communities and the broader global economy, making a strong case for sustained international cooperation and commitment to finding peaceful solutions that prioritize the well-being of civilian populations.
The ICRC defines an armed conflict as a prolonged period of sustained combat involving organized armed groups, whether non-governmental or governmental. The term is also used to describe non-interstate wars that have a significant military component. ICRC operations take place mainly in countries experiencing armed conflict.
While there are many underlying causes of conflict, including a lack of development and economic progress, the most common reason for war is the desire to settle territorial or ethnic issues through violence. The ICRC believes that the emergence of new weapons systems is adding to the overall proliferation of armed conflict, as evidenced by the upsurge in violent conflict in recent years. New technologies are lowering the barriers to accessing cyber, physical and biological weapons – toxic substances or diseases used to harm or kill humans, livestock or crops.
There are a wide range of impacts associated with armed conflict, including the effects on health, schooling and education, livelihood and income, food security, macro-economic growth, political institutions, migration and displacement, sociopsychological wellbeing and capital. However, the impacts are not isolated: they often interact and magnify one another. For example, a lack of safety drives households to divert income from productive activities and adopt risky livelihood strategies such as borrowing or selling assets, taking on risky employment or enforcing child labour.
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