More than 100 armed conflicts, most lasting for more than 30 years

A new U.N. report shows a 53% year-to-year increase in recorded civilian deaths during armed conflicts. And when explosive weapons went off in populated areas, 94% of the victims were civilians – not other combatants.

"With over 100 armed conflicts worldwide and an average conflict duration of more than 30 years, civilians have continued to endure profound and lasting hardship," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' report to the U.N. Security Council says.

The report coincided with a Swiss-led U.N. Security Council session on Tuesday calling on all countries and armed groups to fulfill their obligations for protecting civilians under international humanitarian law. Switzerland holds the 15-nation council's monthly rotating presidency.

"It is an absolute priority – priority for the U.N., priority for Switzerland, and for all us," Switzerland's President Alain Berset told reporters outside the council's chamber, citing the 1949 Geneva Conventions that dictate the rules of war.

"Protecting civilian populations in armed conflicts – the problem is indisputable, and I think the need to act is non-negotiable," he said, specifically referring to fighting in Ukraine, Sudan, Gaza and Congo. "Obligations on the part of all countries and warring parties are clear."

During the session, Berset highlighted five objectives:

1. Prevent attacks on vital goods.
2. Guarantee humanitarian access.
3. Unanimous condemnation of parties to conflicts who use starvation as a weapon of war.
4. Involvement of women in peace processes.
5. Protection of civilians after the end of U.N. peacekeeping missions.

'War means hunger'

In 2022, the U.N. says it recorded at least 16,988 civilian deaths across 12 armed conflicts, a 53% increase compared with the previous year. That's just a fraction of what the actual figures are thought to be, since it omits dozens of combat zones.

Everywhere I look – and in my short time as president of the ICRC, I have visited conflict-affected countries in Africa, Europe and the Near East – I see a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. – Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross

At last count, 101 million people struggled to get by after being forced from their homes by conflicts and war. More than 117 million people face acute hunger mainly from war and insecurity, according to U.N. figures.

"War means hunger. Armed conflict is a key factor driving food insecurity around the world. This is an outrage," Guterres told the 15-nation council, which is the U.N.'s most powerful arm though it is frequently stalemated by its permanent, veto-wielding members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.

"Damage to critical infrastructure hampers food production, blocks distribution and deprives people of safe water: Syria now has 40% less drinking water than at the start of the conflict," he said. "Fighters destroy crops and steal livestock; explosives contaminate fertile land; markets cannot function, and prices rocket."

Guterres noted that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also has contributed to the rise in the prices of food, energy and fertilizer globally, crushing the world’s poorest. "And when conflict combines with the climate crisis, harvests shrink and people go hungry," he said. "I saw this for myself during my recent visit to Somalia."

In response, Guterres appointed a coordinator on famine prevention and response. The U.N. brokered the July 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia, Ukraine and Turkey that allows exports of food and fertilizers to reach the world.

Last year, nations pledged to protect civilians by limiting the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and to prevent U.N. sanctions from harming civilians and obstructing humanitarian action.

'Entire regions are trapped'

There's another complication. The International Committee for the Red Cross estimates that as many as 175 million people live in areas either fully or partially controlled by armed groups and de facto authorities, many of them beyond the reach control of governments.

"The issue of protection of civilians lies at the core of our mandate," the ICRC's president Mirjana Spoljaric, told the council. The ICRC acts as the guardian of the four Geneva Conventions and additional protocols that form the core of international humanitarian law.

"As we meet, countless civilians in conflicts around the world are experiencing a living hell. Any minute, the next missile can obliterate their home, their school, their clinic and everyone in it," said Spoljaric, calling for nations to prioritize better protections for civilians and critical infrastructure in towns and cities and to not use heavy explosive weapons in populated areas.

"Any day, their loved ones might be abused, raped, detained, or tortured. Any week, they might run out of food or medicine," she said. "Entire regions are trapped in cycles of conflict without an end in sight."

ICRC figures show the number of non-international armed conflicts more than tripled to over 90, up from less than 30, in the past 20 years, and many are protracted situations compounded by climate shocks, hunger and loss of livehoods.

Spoljaric also urged nations to prevent and ease hunger in conflict-affected areas like the Horn of Africa, and to ensure "neutral and impartial humanitarian access" for aid workers from international organizations and NGOs trying to help.

"In today’s operating environment, misinformation and disinformation also present a threat to populations and hinder humanitarian operations," she said. "Misinformation can fuel dangerous community divisions and undermine community acceptance of humanitarian organizations."