Reference :
V-P-CH-E-00401
Date :
22/06/2009
Caption :
Geneva, ICRC headquarters. Press conference to present ICRC survey on impact of hostilities on civilans.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
Extract from 23-06-2009 News release 09/123
ICRC survey shows disturbing impact of hostilities on civilians
Geneva (ICRC) – War and armed violence take an alarming toll on civilians in conflict-affected countries across the globe, according to new findings published by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday. The survey reveals that displacement, separation from family members and a lack of access to basic necessities are among people's most common experiences and biggest fears.
Of those people directly affected by hostilities, 56% said they had been displaced by fighting, while almost half said they had lost contact with a loved one. One in five said they had lost their means of income.
The report, entitled Our world. Views from the field. looks at the personal experiences, needs, worries, expectations and frustrations of conflict-affected populations in eight countries: Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Georgia, Haiti, Lebanon, Liberia and the Philippines. It was compiled by the Ipsos research agency and is being released to mark the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Solferino on 24 June.
"What's new about this research is that it gives us a more comprehensive overview of how the victims of armed conflict and violence are affected across the board," said Pierre Krähenbühl, the ICRC's director of operations. "These figures represent millions of people who are struggling to provide for their children, who have been forced to flee their villages under threat, or who live in constant fear that someone they care for will be killed, assaulted or disappear. That's very disturbing."
In Afghanistan, 76% of those who had personal experience of armed conflict said they were forced to leave their homes, while 61% said they had lost contact with a close relative. In Liberia, a startling 90% of people said they had been displaced, followed by 61% in Lebanon and 58% in DRC. The loss of contact with a relative was also high in Liberia (86%), Lebanon (51%) and DRC (47%).
Limited access to services, such as water, electricity and health care, emerged as a widespread problem, particularly in Afghanistan and Haiti, where well over half of the people directly affected by armed violence said they had experienced a lack of these basic necessities.
As part of the research process, the ICRC conducted focus groups in the conflict-affected countries to gain a more in-depth understanding of people's true experiences of war.
"By talking to a wide range of people, and really listening to what they have to say, we're able to see the situation through their eyes. This will greatly enhance and inform our approach towards helping them and others in need," said the ICRC's deputy director of communication, Charlotte Lindsey, who oversaw the survey.
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
3872x2592
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
