The Core Issue: The primary driver of today's humanitarian crises is the unprecedented scale and changing nature of war. Armed conflict has become a defining feature of our time, with conflicts multiplying, spreading, and lasting longer.

Key Facts & Figures:

• A Doubling of Conflicts: In 2024, there were approximately 130 recorded armed conflicts worldwide—more than double the number recorded in 2009.

• Protracted Crises: More than 20 of these conflicts have lasted over two decades, leaving entire generations who have never known peace.

• Expanding Battlefields: Front lines now stretch across hundreds of kilometers and into new domains, including cyberspace and outer space, utilizing drones and artificial intelligence.

• Beyond State Reach: An unprecedented 204 million people currently live in areas under the full or contested control of armed groups (up from 175 million in 2022), placing them beyond the reach of traditional state institutions, services, and protections.

• The Human Cost: The chaos of these expanding conflicts has led to 284,000 people being registered as missing by the Red Cross—a 70% increase in just one year.

Why it Matters: The boundaries of war are blurring. Civilians are bearing the brunt of this evolution as the geography of war expands, resulting in destroyed hospitals, lost livelihoods, and millions trapped in areas where international aid struggles to reach.