Civilians in the firing line: the ugly reality of modern conflict
One of the most shocking aspects of modern armed conflicts is their heavy toll on unarmed civilians. Among the human rights abuses civilians suffer in conflict zones, they are routinely knowingly or carelessly put in the line of fire and even directly targeted by all types of armed actor—from government forces to, increasingly, rebels, state-aligned militias, local powerbrokers and other non-state actors.
Even as the number of conflicts being fought has dropped significantly since the early 1990s, organized campaigns of ‘one-sided’ violence—directly and deliberately targeting civilians, ranging from massacres and terrorist attacks to lower-level, routine violence—are on the rise, mostly in countries affected by armed conflicts.
Similarly, the number of people forcibly displaced by conflict has also increased in recent years, with internally displaced persons (IDPs) reaching 26 million, more than double the number of refugees. For a large share of these, no sustainable solution is in sight. Mass population displacement is often a result—and even a goal—of violence against civilians.
Why are campaigns of one-sided violence on the rise? Is the international community doing enough to protect civilians in conflict zones? What are the main factors that can limit and help decrease one-sided violence during and after conflict?
In the Yearbook
Chapter 1. Mass displacement caused by conflicts and one-sided violence: national and international responses
Chapter 2. Trends in armed conflicts: one-sided violence against civilians
Appendix 2A. Patterns of major armed conflicts, 1999 - 2008
SIPRI experts
Amb. Lakhdar Brahimi, SIPRI Board Member and former United Nations special representative for Afghanistan and Iraq
Prof Mary Kaldor, SIPRI Board Member and Director, Centre for the Study of Global Governance, London School of Economics
Amb. Francis Deng, SIPRI author and former Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons (1994-2004)
