According to our legal analysis @ICRC, there are around 100 armed conflicts around the world involving 60 States and 100+ non-state armed groups as parties to those conflicts.

Thread about main trends over the last years

@CDroegeICRC @HADurhamICRC

#wars #IHL
1/9

The multiplication of non-state armed groups; this phenomenon is notably due to armed groups splitting into several factions and to the emergence of multiple armed groups in the same conflict areas.
2/9

The high number of States’ interventions in conflicts abroad, notably as parts of coalitions and through partnerships; several States and non-state armed groups fight together in several conflicts.

See notably: https://blogs.icrc.org/law-and-policy/?s=%22fighting+together%22
3/9

These factors have been contributing to a steady rise of the total number of armed conflicts (mainly non-international), legally classified as such, over the recent decades.
4/9

@ICRC classifies conflicts based on purely legal criteria and facts on the ground. Such classification is aimed at determining the legal framework applicable to the situation of violence. It will also determine the legal basis for ICRC action.
5/9

Based on the applicable legal framework, @ICRC engages in a confidential dialogue with the parties concerned, with the view to enhance the protection of persons affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence.

https://international-review.icrc.org/articles/icrc-protection-policy
6/9

Top @ICRC operations are taking place in countries affected by armed conflicts, sometimes several conflicts in the same country, often protracted over many years, even decades.
7/9

Legal classifications of conflict are not always an indicator of hum. needs, as some other types of violence generate lots of suffering too. Other orgs provide useful analyses, not using an IHL definition of the term "conflict"
https://ucdp.uu.se/ 
https://acleddata.com 
8/9

Read more on the legal criteria for international armed conflicts: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Comment.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=BE2D518CF5DE54EAC1257F7D0036B518

and non-international armed conflicts: https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Comment.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=59F6CDFA490736C1C1257F7D004BA0EC#_Toc465169868
9/9