50 million people in urban areas face protracted and repeated armed violence. The direct impact of conflict is visible and well understood, but there is less research into the cumulative, long-term effects – the gradual collapse of electricity, water and sanitation services.
This new report is based on 30 years of ICRC work in urban conflict zones including Iraq, Gaza, Ukraine, Syria and Yemen. It warns that unless humanitarian agencies adopt a different approach to assisting urban populations in conflict, the human and social cost could be catastrophic, with the deterioration of critical infrastructure leaving people without essential services.
We're launching the report on 6 October 2015, between 14:00 and 15:30 (GMT+01 (BST))