Archive · 11 Dec 2025
Civilians Bear Brunt of Modern Conflicts
In today's world, wars and conflicts are causing a lot of harm to innocent people who are not fighting.
These people, including women, children, and those with disabilities, are often killed, hurt, or forced to leave their homes.
In recent years, the number of civilians dying in wars has gone up a lot.
For example, in 2023 and 2024, thousands of women and children were killed in conflicts.
Many more have been forced to leave their homes because of the violence.
There are rules, like the Geneva Conventions, that are supposed to protect these people, but these rules are often not followed.
Countries and groups involved in conflicts spend a lot of money on the military, which makes the situation worse for civilians.
To make things better, everyone needs to work together to protect these innocent people from the harmful effects of war.
Civilian fatalities in wars have increased dramatically, from 5% at the turn of the 20th century to close to 90% in recent times.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable, with thousands killed and millions displaced by conflict in recent years.
International humanitarian law (IHL) provides a framework to protect civilians, but these laws are often violated in contemporary conflicts.
Targeting civilians has become a military strategy to instill terror, drive displacement, and demonstrate the inability of governments to protect their populations.
Global military spending has increased significantly, amplifying the human cost of armed conflict and making it more difficult to protect civilians.
- Who
- Civilians, including women, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons, are the primary victims of armed conflicts.
- What
- Armed conflicts are causing catastrophic humanitarian consequences, including death, injury, forced displacement, and sexual violence against civilians.
- When
- The increase in civilian casualties and displacement has been particularly notable between 2023 and 2024.
- Where
- Armed conflicts and their devastating impacts on civilians are occurring in various regions, including the Middle East, North Africa, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
- Why
- Civilians are frequently targeted as a military strategy to instill terror, drive displacement, and demonstrate the inability of governments to protect their populations.
- Civilian Fatalities in WWII
- 65%
- Civilian Fatalities in 1990s Wars
- More than 75%
- Civilian Fatalities in Recent Times
- Close to 90%
- Women Killed in Conflicts (2023-2024)
- 21,480
- Children Killed in Conflicts (2023-2024)
- 16,690
- Children Displaced by Conflict (2023)
- 47.2 million
- Forcibly Displaced People (2024)
- 123.2 million
- Global Military Expenditure (2024)
- $2.718 trillion