GENEVA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- As global events mark the World Refugee Day on Tuesday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reveals in a latest report that the majority of deaths resulting from armed conflicts are now taking place in cities.
The report, titled "I Saw My City Die", shows that "21st century wars are taking place in cities", urban warfare has become the norm, and the battles are happening in people's homes, on their doorsteps, in the streets, schools and hospitals.
"In urban conflicts, civilians have few chances to stay safe," the report says.
The report shows that in the last three years, 70 percent of all civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria took place in cities, while between 2010 and 2015, nearly half of all civilian war deaths worldwide occurred in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
In Syria, millions of people have been subjected to medieval-style sieges during which no aid can get in, together with high-tech aerial bombardment, the report says.
According to the report, all too often, urban warfare doesn't allow families to flee safely. In Iraq, hundreds of thousands of people have been trying to escape the city of Mosul, while the battle rages around them.
When people do manage to flee, they give up their homes, jobs, and for many, the dignity of being able to provide for the family.
"War in cities destroys not just the homes people live in, but the very fabric of family life," the report says.
