A week after the high-level meeting on the future of Syria and the challenges of rebuilding the country, the findings of a new study conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are a stark reminder of the scale of the suffering endured by civilians.
This study, which updates the 2017 report entitled "I saw my city die"highlights the impact of urban warfare on civilian populations in four governorates of Syria and Iraq. In particular, it shows that:
- offensives carried out in cities in these four governorates between March 2017 and July 2018 killed eight times as many civilians (6,485 in total) as fighting in non-urban areas;
- civilian casualties attributable to these offensives account for 78% of all civilians killed in these governorates between March 2017 and July 2018 (according to the most recent estimates).
These figures confirm the findings of the 2017 report, namely that the world's deadliest fighting is now taking place in cities, in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Attacks in urban areas are devastating, generating high numbers of casualties in a short space of time - due to the fighting itself, but also to its cascading repercussions.
"During my recent trips to the region, I saw with my own eyes the unbearable suffering caused by disproportionate or deliberate attacks on civilians or civilian services and facilities such as ambulances, water supply stations or markets. These attacks are carried out according to the logic of retaliation, without the slightest consideration for the population. They create a breeding ground for radicalization and hatred, and help perpetuate the cycle of violence. Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC.
"While the international community will have to tackle the thorny issue of Syria's long-term reconstruction and the political conditions that will make it possible, humanitarians cannot wait for a political consensus to be reached. They must act now to help people and enable them to live in dignity, as they wish."