A wide range of factors – from political instability to lack of economic development – can contribute to the outbreak and prolonging of armed conflict. Armed conflicts have many immediate and severe consequences for people, including the killing or wounding of military personnel and civilians; the denial of basic human rights and freedoms; and the destruction or deterioration of infrastructure and communities’ ability to thrive and develop. They are a major cause of internal displacement, which in turn fuels refugee crises. The resulting burden on regional economies and global markets has lasting impacts for the victims and their host countries.
Conflicts also erode societies by diverting resources away from the wellbeing of communities, as well as causing environmental degradation and destruction. These challenges – along with the need for better conflict prevention, de-escalation and resolution – pose one of the greatest challenges facing humanity.
The ICRC monitors more than 110 situations of armed conflict worldwide. It classifies them based on the criteria established in international humanitarian law. This process is complex, as armed conflicts frequently cross State borders and involve a mix of States and non-State armed groups (NSAGs). The ICRC’s 2024 Opinion Paper provides an overview of its methodology for legally classifying armed conflict.
Many armed conflicts are motivated by the pursuit of material or power gains, such as territory and natural resources. The desire to control and profit from the mining of diamonds, for example, triggered a war in Sierra Leone that led both the government and the rebels to sell future exploitation rights, and looting was widespread. Similarly, the economic marginalization and oppression of certain ethnic or religious groups can drive them to take up arms in their struggle for recognition and representation.