Future Battlefields: Evolving Challenges for Humanitarian Action

The nature of armed conflict over the past century and a half has undergone profound change, both in the way wars are fought and the impact they have on people. While International Humanitarian Law (IHL) has proven to be an adaptable legal framework for the protection of victims of armed conflict, it faces daunting challenges.
Modern conflicts are characterized by the convergence of complex and interlinked factors: from the fragmentation and proliferation of actors, to the privatization of warfare, the widespread availability of weapons, and high levels of criminal violence on top of armed conflict.
These dynamics have concerning humanitarian consequences and demand the attention of the international community. Urbanized conflict, with multiple support relationships between states and armed groups, is a key feature. The International Committee of the Red Cross has strived to keep watch over the challenges of tomorrow, but the global pandemic has brought a further layer of complexity to humanitarian action amid armed conflict.