Key messages:

As cities around the world struggle to cope with rapid and unplanned expansion, the authorities, public service providers and humanitarian organizations are increasingly facing the threat of armed violence in urban settings.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is particularly concerned about the humanitarian impact of this type of violence, which destroys lives, perpetuates poverty and undermines development.

Urban areas often bear the brunt of armed conflict and its aftermath. Unexploded munitions, damage to power stations and hospitals, shortages of food, an influx of displaced persons and soaring unemployment are just a few of the challenges many city dwellers face following armed violence.

Many National Societies and the ICRC are also particularly concerned about the scale of organized armed violence in large cities and the number of deaths it causes. This type of armed violence may fall below the threshold of international humanitarian law, but it can severely disrupt daily life in urban areas.

Insecurity and crime are a source of fear in communities. A lack of public services, such as schooling, water and sanitation and health care, often aggravate the situation. Areas controlled by armed groups may be off limits, even to social or humanitarian agencies, making it dangerous or impossible to help the victims of violence.

As a neutral and impartial humanitarian network, the Movement has a significant role to play in preventing and alleviating the suffering caused by violence. The Movement partners' different areas of humanitarian expertise and their presence at a community level enable them to take a comprehensive approach to tackling the problem – from influencing behaviour and fighting social discrimination, to addressing contributing factors, such as overcrowding, inadequate services and drug use.

Solving these types of complex problems will require ongoing dialogue and long-term cooperation between the authorities, humanitarian organizations and affected communities. We must all work together to protect and help the victims of violence.

Key facts on violence in urban settings:

According to a United Nations report on the State of the World's Cities, more than 1.6 million people die as a result of violence every year. The WHO's World Report on Violence and Health says that overall, violence is among the leading causes of death worldwide for people aged between 15 and 44.

Unemployment and inadequate housing and health care contribute to violence, especially in slum areas, which are growing at an alarming rate. According to UN-HABITAT, if current trends continue the world's slum population may rise from just over 1 billion in 2005 to almost 1.5 billion by 2020.

These conditions are often exacerbated by the increasing availability of drugs and the ease of access to small arms, which pose a serious obstacle to social and economic progress.

For example, grinding poverty, kidnappings and relentless violence have left residents in Haiti's Cité-Soleil isolated and without access to services. The ICRC has been working to gradually upgrade the shantytown's dilapidated water network, while Haitian Red Cross volunteers play an important role in providing emergency treatment to residents and people wounded in armed clashes.

The International Federation and National Societies also support the reduction of violence in communities by helping affected people and conducting prevention activities, such as first aid, psychosocial support and campaigns to promote respect and understanding.