Red Cross warns of an increase in armed conflicts in the last three decades

Published at: 14/02/2026 11:01 AM

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that armed conflicts have increased in the last thirty years, which is why it constantly affects the principles of international law.

During the Munich Security Conference, the president of the ICRC, Mirjana Spoljaric-Egger, presented a report in which she indicated that confrontations with more than three decades of activity have quadrupled, while in the last 15 years the total number of wars has doubled, with a direct impact on the civilian population.

“The expansion of fighting shows a deterioration in respect for the rules that protect those who do not participate in hostilities,” he said.

The document highlights that the escalation is related to technological development applied to the military industry. Spoljaric-Egger argued that the use of new weapons increases risks for communities and warned that unmanned systems are being used against armed forces and inhabitants of affected areas, according to a press release from Telesur.

The ICRC cited as an example the case of Gaza, where, since October 2023, there have been more than 200,000 Palestinian deaths due to the Israeli offensive and the increase in attacks on the territory.

Mazo News Team