Active conflict: civilian protection, sheltering, and aid access

Armed conflict injures and displaces civilians regardless of cause, geography, or which parties are fighting. For most readers, direct exposure is low-probability — but elements of the threat are more plausible: infrastructure attacks that disrupt supply chains, escalating civil unrest that crosses into armed-actor presence, or displacement caused by fighting in a neighboring region. For those in or near active conflict zones, the gap between generic preparedness advice and specific civilian-protection guidance can be the difference between effective action and deadly hesitation. According to ICRC reporting, civilian casualties from armed conflict affect tens of thousands of people annually across dozens of ongoing conflicts worldwide — the problem is perennial, not historical.

This page covers what civilians can do before, during, and after armed conflict to reduce exposure, preserve family continuity, and reconnect with legitimate aid systems.

Civilian status under international humanitarian law

Civilians are protected under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) — the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols — and must not be targeted by parties to a conflict (ICRC Rules of War FAQ; ICRC Conduct of Hostilities and Protection of Civilians). This page is not about fighting, hiding combatants, or resisting armed forces. It is about reducing civilian exposure, preserving family and medical continuity, and reconnecting with lawful aid systems.

Educational use only

This page is educational and is not a substitute for guidance from local emergency management, civil defense authorities, or established humanitarian organizations. In an active conflict situation, follow instructions from UNHCR, ICRC, national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies, or your government's civil defense authority. Do not rely solely on this page when official guidance is available.

What this page does NOT cover

This page explicitly excludes the following content: tactical movement and counter-surveillance; ambush avoidance beyond ordinary civilian safety; hiding from or evading armed forces; camouflage construction of any kind; drone evasion techniques; weapons acquisition or use; intelligence collection or analysis; resistance activity; advice for combatants; and improvised underground concealment systems. Improvised pits, "spider holes," and unventilated underground hides are excluded because they can kill occupants from structural collapse, flooding, asphyxiation, carbon monoxide accumulation, radon exposure, or hypothermia — risks that increase, not decrease, under conflict stress. Civilians retain IHL protection unless they directly participate in hostilities. This page is anchored to that principle.

Action block

Do this first: Assemble your household documentation kit and write a family communication plan — including meeting points and an out-of-area contact — before any escalation occurs. (Active time: 2–4 hours) Time required: Active: 2–4 hours to build the kit; 30 minutes annually to review and update Cost range: Inexpensive (waterproof document pouch, laminated contact cards, USB backup drive) Skill level: Beginner — no technical skills required; family coordination is the core task Tools and supplies: Waterproof document pouch or zip-lock bags; laminated paper for contact cards; digital backup (encrypted USB or secure cloud); photo copies of all IDs and prescriptions Safety warnings: See If trapped: shelter, water, sanitation, medical, communication below for physical sheltering guidance — See Explosive remnants and damaged infrastructure below for the post-conflict re-entry hazard

Early warning and decision thresholds

The window for safe evacuation closes faster than most people expect. Observable indicators appear in sequence; waiting for the final indicator before acting is a reliable path to being trapped during active fighting.

Military and paramilitary mobilization. Visible troop movements, road closures by authorities, installation of vehicle checkpoints on major routes, sandbagging of government buildings, and infrastructure hardening (fuel depot guards, communications tower security details) are early indicators that armed conflict is approaching or has already been judged likely by someone with access to better information than you.

Official civilian advisories. Consular travel warnings, embassy-staff reductions or full closures, government evacuation orders for specific districts, school and university closures without a scheduled reopen date, and civil defense public broadcasts all reflect official assessments that a threat is credible and near. When embassies reduce staff, that is a planning signal, not just a news item.

Supply and financial disruption. Fuel rationing, currency controls, ATM withdrawal limits, empty store shelves in normally-stocked categories (fuel, bread, bottled water, medication), and price spikes in staple goods all reflect a population and a supply chain simultaneously reacting to the same threat signal.

Communications degradation. Rolling electrical blackouts, social-media throttling or platform outages, ISP service advisories, and mobile network congestion during otherwise routine hours indicate either infrastructure strain or deliberate degradation — both of which accompany conflict escalation.

Displacement of others. Neighbors or community members leaving with packed vehicles, an influx of displaced people from an adjacent area, school closures with no stated reopen date, and business closures with boarded windows are behavioral signals from people with the same information you have — or worse.

Authority behavior. Tightening curfew windows, expansion of checkpoint geography, announcements of conscription or mandatory civilian service, and changes in law enforcement posture (defensive positions, weapons carried visibly at all times) indicate that authorities have already made a threat assessment and adjusted accordingly.

The load-bearing decision rule: leave before, not during. Per UNHCR displacement guidance and ICRC civilian protection doctrine, civilian movement during active fighting is dramatically more dangerous than movement before fighting begins. The decision window exists in the early-warning phase. Once you are observing indicators from the middle of this list, the window is narrowing. Once fighting is audible from your location, it may already be closed.

Align your decision to act with the civil-unrest escalation ladder in civil unrest: at Level 3 on that ladder, begin preparing to leave. At Level 4, if an armed-conflict escalation is involved, treat it as the leave decision, not a reconsideration.

Leave before fighting reaches you

The most important evacuation step is the one you take before it feels urgent.

Route preparation. Identify at minimum three routes from your home: a primary route (fastest in normal conditions), a secondary route (avoids the main road), and a foot-fallback route for when roads are blocked, contested, or under fire. Walk or drive these routes now so you know where they go, what landmarks exist without cell service, and where they become unreliable. Cross-reference evacuation planning and bug-out routes for the full route-planning framework.

Documents — the non-negotiable kit. Assemble a sealed waterproof packet kept on your person at all times once escalation begins, not stored in the vehicle or a bag that could be separated from you:

  • Government-issued photo IDs for every household member (passports preferred — the most universally accepted document across borders and at checkpoints)
  • Birth certificates and marriage certificates
  • Prescription medication labels and, where possible, recent prescriptions in writing
  • Property documents (deed, lease agreement)
  • Insurance policies (home, vehicle, health)
  • Recent photos of every household member, full-face, labeled on the back with name and date of birth
  • Medical records summary (chronic conditions, allergies, current medications, vaccination history)
  • Financial account numbers and the name of a trusted person authorized to act on your behalf

Communication plan. Designate one out-of-area contact — someone outside the potential conflict zone — who knows where every household member is going and serves as the information hub if communications are disrupted locally. Record this contact's name, address, and multiple phone numbers on laminated paper kept in the document packet and memorized by every household member who can. Agree on meeting points: one local (within walking distance of home), one regional (reachable within one day on foot), and one outside the potential conflict zone. Register your departure plan with the ICRC Family Links service at familylinks.icrc.org if displacement may cross national borders — this dramatically accelerates family tracing if you are separated.

Fuel discipline. Leave with a full tank if possible. Refuel before the announcement or event that triggers simultaneous demand — fuel stations empty within hours of a visible escalation. Carry additional fuel only in properly rated containers with sealed caps, in a safely ventilated external location, and never more than what is practical given the vehicle and journey.

Vehicle vs. on foot. A vehicle is faster and carries more, but it is useless when roads are gridlocked, blocked by debris, or actively contested. Know the threshold at which you switch to foot movement: your vehicles cannot move faster than the surrounding traffic, and contested roads can become fire zones. Foot movement planning covers what that transition requires in terms of load, footwear, and route.

What to take. Document packet (on person). Medications for all household members for minimum 30 days if possible — see long-term medication strategy. Cash in small denominations, in multiple currencies if international border crossing is possible. Water for 72 hours minimum. Food for 72 hours minimum, requiring no preparation. Weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy closed-toe footwear already on your feet. Charged power bank and a paper map of your routes, laminated if possible. Shortwave or battery-powered radio.

What to leave. Heavy furniture and appliances. Items that mark the household as a resource cache and make you a target (displayed stockpiles, visible expensive equipment). Anything that slows your travel. Items that can be replaced.

Pets and livestock. These require honest pre-planning, not improvised decisions under stress. Know in advance which animals can travel with you and how, which cannot, and what humane decisions follow from that. Livestock that cannot be evacuated may need to be released or humanely put down. These are hard decisions — make them before the pressure of departure.

The decision deadline. Once active fighting is observable from your location — audible artillery, visible smoke from impacts, or confirmed fighting in adjacent districts (often within a 12–25 mi (20–40 km) band depending on terrain, weapon systems involved, and how fast a front is moving) — the evacuation window is closing. This is a planning band, not a precise threshold; civil defense and humanitarian-organization advisories for your specific area override any generic figure. Movement during fighting is far more dangerous than sheltering in a well-chosen position. If you have not left by the time fighting is close enough to hear and see, move immediately to the sheltering protocol below.

If trapped: shelter, water, sanitation, medical, communication

When evacuation is no longer safe, sheltering quality becomes the primary survival variable.

Interior room selection. Choose the room with the most walls between you and the exterior of the building. Away from windows entirely — glass fragmentation (spalling) is the primary household injury mechanism during shelling, and windows shatter at blast pressures far below structural damage thresholds. Lower floors are generally safer from shelling, fragmentation, and blast overpressure; upper floors are generally safer from flooding and ground-level forced entry. The right floor depends on the specific threat. In most conflict-shelling scenarios, a basement or ground floor, center of the building, is the correct choice. Cross-reference basements and safe rooms for the engineered civilian-shelter framework.

The distinction between cover and concealment matters here: cover physically stops rounds and blast; concealment only blocks line-of-sight. Multiple masonry walls provide cover. Interior positioning maximizes the number of cover layers between you and exterior threats. For the full cover-vs-concealment framework, see run, hide, fight.

On improvised underground sheltering. Existing engineered structures — FEMA-compliant safe rooms, intact basements in sound buildings — are the appropriate civilian shelter framework. Improvised pits and unventilated underground hides are explicitly not recommended: they can collapse under blast overpressure, flood in rain events, accumulate carbon monoxide from any fuel burned nearby, deplete available oxygen, or trap occupants when an entrance is blocked by debris. These are documented causes of civilian deaths in conflict zones. Use what exists; do not build what is unfamiliar.

Water. The Sphere Humanitarian Standards establish a minimum of 2 gal (7.5 L) per person per day for survival in acute emergency conditions — drinking and cooking only. The adequate humanitarian standard is 4 gal (15 L) per person per day for drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene; 5.3 gal (20 L) per day is the hygiene floor that includes laundry and full sanitation (Sphere Standards; WHO Emergency Water Technical Notes).

Tiered water use by supply level: if supply is constrained, allocate first to drinking and cooking (highest-quality treated water), then to wound care and oral hygiene, then to handwashing, then to sanitation. Untreated water — from toilets, pools, or rain collection — is adequate for flushing. Never use lower-tier water in the drinking tier even in desperation; waterborne illness during a siege is a force-multiplier against your situation.

Advisory literacy: know the difference between a boil-water advisory (biological — boiling makes it safe) and a do-not-drink advisory (chemical or radiological — boiling concentrates contaminants and worsens the situation). Infrastructure damage during conflict can cause both simultaneously in different areas. If you cannot confirm which advisory applies, treat the water as a do-not-drink case and use only sealed stored supply. Full advisory decision support is at Water Under Disruption.

Recontamination prevention: once water is treated, recontamination during storage is the most common failure point in emergency settings. Use a dedicated ladle for each container — never dip a shared cup into stored water. Keep containers sealed and stored away from waste and sanitation areas. Pre-rinse containers with dilute bleach solution before refilling.

Source backup hierarchy: (1) pre-stored sealed containers; (2) tap water from a pressurized municipal supply, boiled or treated; (3) deep well water, treated; (4) collected rainwater, treated; (5) surface water, treated through a full filter + disinfect + UV chain. Never skip treatment regardless of apparent source quality — conflict damages infrastructure in ways that contaminate sources without visible signs.

Store water in food-grade sealed containers. See water storage for container selection and pre-filling guidance, water purification by boiling for treatment procedures, and Water Under Disruption for the complete decision framework for disrupted supply conditions.

Sanitation under siege. When sewer systems are unreliable or non-functional, sanitation discipline is one of the highest-impact things you can do. Designate one toilet or container for waste. Double-bag waste in sealed bags; add a small amount of bleach solution or dry material (cat litter, sawdust, soil) to reduce odor and bacterial growth. Dispose of sealed bags away from living spaces when it is safe to do so. Wash hands with whatever water is available before handling food and after any waste contact. Disease — particularly diarrheal illness — spreads rapidly in siege conditions and has historically killed more civilians than the direct violence in some sieges. Cross-reference hygiene under pressure.

Cooking fuel. Propane and butane camp stoves are appropriate for indoor use only with significant ventilation — open a window or interior door to another space. Never use charcoal, wood fires, or generator fuel indoors. Carbon monoxide is odorless and has killed civilians during conflicts who used improvised indoor heat and cooking sources without adequate ventilation. If cooking must stop because ventilation is unsafe (active shelling), use food that requires no preparation.

Medical continuity. Chronic-condition medications and refrigerated pharmaceuticals require specific planning before and during sheltering. See long-term medication strategy for the supply buffer approach, cold chain management for insulin and refrigeration-dependent medications, and chronic conditions under stress for the monitoring framework. For trauma care under conflict conditions — the scenarios where medical evacuation is not available — see triage (MARCH), gunshot wounds, chest injuries, and bleeding control.

Communication degradation. Assume cellular networks and internet will fail or be throttled. A shortwave or AM/FM battery radio with spare batteries provides one-way information access independent of local infrastructure. A handheld radio with a local-frequency scan allows two-way contact with others nearby. Agree on transmission schedules in advance to conserve battery. Treat all unverified reports — from any source, including radio — as rumor until confirmed by two or more independent sources. Forwarding unverified information during conflict is both ineffective and dangerous. Keep a laminated paper map; do not rely on digital maps once power becomes intermittent.

Movement only when necessary

When movement is unavoidable — a medical emergency, water or food retrieval, or continuing evacuation — minimize exposure through timing, route, and behavior.

Timing. Observed lulls in active fighting are the primary cue. Daylight enables navigation and hazard recognition but also increases visibility to others; weigh this tradeoff against the specific threat in your area. Avoid dawn and dusk periods when light is ambiguous and visibility is asymmetric. If fighting has been rhythmically active, learn the pattern — many conflict situations have periods of reduced activity that can be anticipated and used.

Route selection. Walk on the building side of streets, not the center. Avoid open squares, exposed bridges, rooftops, and any structure identifiable as a military objective: government buildings, communications towers, fuel depots, police stations. These are disproportionately targeted and should not be your route even if they represent the shortest path.

Communication discipline. Phone face-down in a pocket, not in hand. Do not film armed actors of any party, military equipment, or operational activity. Do not livestream. Do not geotag or check in to locations. Do not share real-time location with anyone other than your designated household contact.

Family-group cohesion. Agree on a walking order before you move. Designate one adult as the decision-maker for the group. Never allow a child to separate from the responsible adult for any reason. If the group becomes separated, each member should know the primary meeting point without having to think about it.

This section describes civilian movement that is sensible and minimal — not tactical evasion. For the situational awareness framework applied to movement, see situational awareness and foot travel.

Checkpoints and armed-actor contact

Checkpoints are high-stakes interactions that reward preparation and penalize improvised responses. The protocol below is anchored to ICRC and UNHCR guidance on civilian-checkpoint conduct.

Preparation before arrival. Documents should be in hand or in an immediately accessible outer pocket before you reach the checkpoint — not in a bag that requires opening or a glove compartment that requires a gesture that can be misread. If traveling in a vehicle, organize documents during the approach, not at the stop.

Designated speaker. Assign one adult — typically the driver or the oldest household member — as the sole communicator. All others remain silent unless directly addressed by checkpoint personnel. Children and elderly or disabled household members should be coached ahead of time that they do not need to speak unless asked.

Vehicle behavior. Turn the engine off when stopped unless instructed otherwise. Both hands on the steering wheel at all times for the driver; passengers place hands on the dashboard or visible on their laps. Interior lights on at night. Do not reach for anything — not the glove compartment, not a bag, not a phone — without explicitly stating what you are doing and why.

Communication approach. Present documents when requested. Answer questions honestly, briefly, and consistently. Do not argue, lecture, or volunteer information beyond what is directly asked. Do not discuss your political opinions, your assessment of the conflict, or the checkpoint personnel's authority. Calm and cooperative behavior is both strategically correct and legally your obligation at a lawful checkpoint.

Medications. Keep medications in their original labeled containers with prescription paperwork attached. A medication in an unlabeled container looks like contraband. An unlabeled pill looks like nothing you can explain at a checkpoint.

Filming. Do not photograph or film checkpoint personnel, their positions, their equipment, or the surrounding area. Cameras and phones should be stowed before you reach the checkpoint and remain stowed throughout the interaction.

Multiple checkpoints. Expect to repeat the same process at every checkpoint. Remain consistent in your answers — discrepancies between what you said at the first checkpoint and what you say at the third are noticed and create problems. Stay calm even at the fifth or tenth interaction.

Children and dependents with medical needs. Have medical documentation for any household member with visible conditions, mobility aids, or specific needs. The designated speaker explains these clearly and without defensiveness.

Drones, shelling, and observation: exposure reduction only

This section covers what civilians can safely and effectively do to reduce exposure during shelling, aerial observation, or other active-threat periods. It does not provide thermal evasion, camouflage construction, or any tactical countermeasure — those are excluded from this page on dual-use grounds.

During shelling or airstrikes. Move immediately away from windows — do not pause to look out or film. Glass spalling from a window under blast pressure causes severe injury at distances and blast levels well below those that damage the structure. Get to the most interior position available with the most walls between you and the exterior. Below grade (basement) is generally safer than upper floors for blast and fragmentation. If no basement is available, the center of the lowest floor of a masonry building is the best available position. Stay there until the shelling stops and you have confirmation — not assumption — that it is safe to move.

Lights and blackouts. Comply with all blackout and curfew orders. Do not display lights at windows during declared blackout periods. This is both a legal compliance issue and a practical exposure-reduction measure.

Patterns of movement. Avoid identifiable daily routines — the same route, the same time, the same windows. Predictability is an exposure risk; vary your patterns when your situation requires movement.

Filming armed actors or operations. Do not do it, under any circumstance, for any audience. Phones in pockets; cameras stowed. This is covered in detail in the Information Safety section below.

Civilian markings. In some conflicts, white sheets or white cloth displayed at windows have been used as civilian markers. Their reliability varies significantly by conflict, by party, and by context — they may draw attention as easily as they communicate non-combatant status. Follow guidance from local civil defense authorities and recognized humanitarian organizations, not internet advice.

On consumer-grade thermal and infrared countermeasures. Advice circulating online claiming that a metalized polyester barrier film blanket, layered clothing, or other readily available materials defeat thermal or infrared observation is not validated by any Tier 1 civilian source. Sensor capability depends on wavelength, viewing angle, temperature differential relative to the background, humidity, and operator behavior — variables that cannot be controlled by a civilian with consumer materials. For sensor awareness without tactical framing, see night vision and sensor technology. Do not interpret that page as a tactical evasion guide.

Explosive remnants and damaged infrastructure

Explosive remnants of war (ERW) — unexploded ordnance (UXO), abandoned munitions, landmines, cluster munition submunitions, and improvised explosive devices — are among the leading causes of civilian casualties during and after armed conflict. According to UNMAS, children are disproportionately killed and injured by ERW because they may mistake devices for toys or interesting objects. Post-conflict, ERW remains a threat for years or decades after fighting ends.

Unexploded ordnance: stop, don't touch, don't approach

Any unfamiliar metal object on or near the ground in a conflict-affected area must be treated as potentially explosive until confirmed otherwise by trained personnel. Do not approach, do not touch, do not move, do not photograph from close range. Mark the location from a safe distance and report.

Recognition. ERW comes in every size, shape, and color: intact munitions that failed to detonate, fragments of larger devices, small submunitions ("bomblets") from cluster weapons that can look like cans or toys, anti-personnel mines that may be buried or surface-laid, and tripwire-triggered devices with wire nearly invisible in vegetation. Do not assume that an object is safe because it looks old, inert, corroded, or broken.

Safe distance. Establish at minimum 330 ft (100 m) of distance between yourself and any suspected small device — the civilian-minimum cordon used in UNMAS mine-risk education for landmines and small submunitions. For larger ordnance (aerial bombs, large artillery shells, vehicle-borne IEDs), the UNMAS Evacuation Distance Guide scales the cordon to the munition's TNT-equivalent — distances of 330 ft to over 0.6 mi (100 m to over 1 km) are appropriate for large devices. If you cannot identify the device, default to the largest distance practical and stay behind solid cover (masonry walls, earthen embankments) between you and the suspected device.

Reporting. Report the location to: local civil defense or police if functional; UNMAS in active conflict zones (unmas.org); ICRC; national demining organizations operating in the area; or any recognized humanitarian organization present locally. Provide GPS coordinates if available. Do not expect someone else to report it — if you are the person who found it, you may be the only one who knows.

Children. Teach children the non-negotiable rule: if you see anything that looks like a weapon, a military object, or something unfamiliar on the ground — do not touch it, do not approach it, find an adult immediately, and tell them exactly where you saw it. UNMAS provides free mine-risk education materials designed for children in conflict zones (unmas.org).

Damaged buildings. Visibly damaged structures present multiple hazards: structural instability and collapse risk; gas leaks from broken supply lines; live electrical hazards from damaged wiring; asbestos in older construction that becomes airborne when disturbed; and contaminated water systems from pipe fractures. Do not enter a visibly damaged building unless there is a compelling reason (search for trapped persons, retrieval of critical documents) and no alternative. If you must enter: wait for trained structural-assessment personnel if at all possible. If you cannot wait, wear sturdy closed-toe footwear, protect your head, wear gloves and a dust mask, stay near load-bearing walls, and never enter alone.

Suspicious objects. In conflict zones, vehicles, packages, bags, and even bodies have been rigged as improvised explosive devices. Treat any unidentified object or unusual placement as a potential threat. Do not touch it. Move away, establish distance, and report.

Post-conflict re-entry. Explosive remnants do not go away when fighting stops. UXO is the leading cause of post-conflict civilian casualties for years or decades after a front line moves. Re-entry into a previously contested area requires explicit clearance from civil defense authorities, national or international demining organizations, or a recognized humanitarian agency — not your own assessment of the area's safety. Even cleared areas can have missed devices. Stay on established paths. Report anything unfamiliar to authorities.

Family separation, documents, and aid access

Pre-conflict planning for family separation costs almost nothing and is extraordinarily difficult to reconstruct after communications fail.

Pre-conflict family plan.

  1. Identify three meeting points: one local (within walking distance of home), one regional (reachable in one day), and one outside the potential conflict area. Commit these to memory and write them on laminated cards in the document packet.
  2. Designate an out-of-area contact — someone in a stable location who is the information hub for the entire household. Every family member knows this person's name, address, and multiple contact numbers. This contact also knows everyone's travel plans, expected routes, and anticipated arrival points.
  3. Agree on emergency phrases that have pre-determined meanings — "stay with Aunt Maria" can mean "go to the secondary meeting point."
  4. Ensure all adults have custody documents for children in their care; ensure all legal guardianship documents for incapacitated dependents are in the waterproof packet.

ICRC Restoring Family Links. The ICRC Central Tracing Agency, operational since 1870, is the primary international pathway for reconnecting families separated by armed conflict. Registration is available at familylinks.icrc.org or through national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies. If you become separated from family members or lose contact with them, register as early as possible — tracing takes less time when registration happens promptly. This service is free, confidential, and accessible regardless of nationality or status.

Documentation kit (life-safety priority). The following items, sealed in a waterproof packet and carried on your person:

  • Government-issued photo IDs (passport, national ID card) for all household members
  • Birth certificates for all household members
  • Marriage certificate
  • Medical records: current prescriptions, vaccination history, chronic conditions, allergies, blood type if known
  • Property and insurance documents
  • Bank account numbers and access contact information for a trusted person
  • Current full-face photographs of every household member, labeled with name and date of birth
  • Photographs of your property for post-conflict claims

Humanitarian aid access. Recognized aid pathways — use only these:

  • Red Cross / Red Crescent national societies: present in virtually every country, neutral under IHL, trusted by all parties in most conflicts. The entry point for most civilian aid access.
  • UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency): protection, registration, and assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons.
  • UNICEF: child protection, nutrition, water and sanitation, education in emergencies.
  • WFP (World Food Programme): food assistance and distribution.
  • WHO: medical coordination and health services in humanitarian settings.
  • Local civil defense: where functional, the first point of contact for shelter, evacuation assistance, and safety information.

Cross-reference community mutual aid for the broader community coordination framework.

Children and dependents. Children who are old enough to speak should know: their full name, their parents' or guardians' full names, at least one out-of-area phone number, and what to do if they are separated (find a person in a clearly identifiable uniform from a recognized organization, such as Red Cross or police, and tell them who they are and who they belong to). For very young children, sew or pin a laminated ID card into their clothing. See infant care under stress and elder care for age-specific planning.

Sexual violence and exploitation risk

Armed conflict creates conditions in which sexual violence, trafficking, and exploitation occur at elevated rates. This is documented across multiple conflicts by UNHCR, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and WHO's gender-based violence (GBV) guidance. It affects women, children, LGBTQ+ persons, and persons with disabilities at disproportionate rates, though it affects all populations.

Risk reduction. Travel in groups rather than alone whenever possible. Use shelters registered with and operated by UNHCR, ICRC, or national Red Cross or Red Crescent societies — vetted organizations with protection protocols. Avoid travel after dark when alternatives exist. Share your location and travel plan with a trusted contact before moving. Carry a personal safety signal (a whistle is inexpensive and draws attention in a way a phone call may not allow). Coordinate movements with other displaced households when possible.

Trafficking awareness. Displaced populations — especially those crossing borders, in unfamiliar areas, or in urgent need of transportation or shelter — are actively targeted by traffickers. Be cautious of unverified offers of transportation, lodging, or employment, especially from individuals who approach you unsolicited. Legitimate humanitarian organizations operate from registered locations and do not solicit people informally at transit points.

Immediate response to assault. Seek medical care as soon as it is safe to do so — ideally within 72 hours. Medical care can address: post-exposure prophylaxis for HIV (time-sensitive); emergency contraception (time-sensitive); STI prevention and treatment; wound care; and trauma support. Report to trusted authorities — UN agencies, ICRC, national Red Cross or Red Crescent — when it is safe to do so. Choose what is safest; reporting is important but not more important than your immediate safety. Cross-reference infection management for the medical context.

International support resources. UN Women, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), IRC, and local women's organizations operate in most active conflict settings. Protections and reporting pathways vary by jurisdiction — choose what is safest in your specific context.

Child protection. Children should never travel unaccompanied if it can be avoided. Concerns about child welfare — including separation from family, signs of trafficking, or abuse — should be reported to UNICEF, Save the Children, or any trusted local organization. These organizations have child-protection protocols that prioritize the child's safety.

Information safety in conflict

What you share online during armed conflict can endanger your family and other civilians. This extends and applies to the operational security framework in OPSEC and information hygiene.

Do not post. Troop or armed-actor locations, whether your own observation or something you heard. Damage assessments of infrastructure or government buildings. Shelter locations or aid-distribution points. Family member locations or travel plans. Aid shipment timing or routes. Identifiable photographs of armed actors, military equipment, checkpoints, or government facilities. None of this information is neutral — it can be used to locate, intercept, or target people.

Do not film. Armed actors of any party, at any time. Checkpoints and their personnel. Military equipment or vehicles. Damage to government or military infrastructure. Evacuation columns or movements. Being seen filming armed actors can be misinterpreted as intelligence collection, with serious consequences.

Social media discipline. Disable geotagging in your phone's camera settings now, before any escalation occurs. Do not check in to locations or share real-time whereabouts publicly. Consider disabling location services entirely for social media applications. Share your location only with your designated household contact through a direct, private channel.

Rumor control. During active conflict, unverified information circulates rapidly. Do not forward news, rumors, or advice unless you have confirmed it through two or more independent sources. The fastest-spreading information during conflict is frequently wrong. Acting on wrong information can lead you toward danger rather than away from it.

Devices at checkpoints. Assume your phone may be searched at any checkpoint. Do not retain content that could endanger you, your family, or others — delete anything that could be misread as intelligence before any potential search situation. Back up essential records (photos of documents, contact lists) to encrypted cloud storage or with a trusted out-of-country contact before escalation occurs.

Specialized resources. Journalists, humanitarian aid workers, and witnesses operating in conflict zones have specialized digital-security needs that exceed the scope of this page. Organizations including Access Now, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) provide conflict-specific digital-security guidance for those roles.

Aftermath and recovery

Fighting eventually moves on. The period between fighting moving past your location and full safety is itself a hazard window — do not treat cessation of audible conflict as an all-clear.

Observable indicators that movement may be safe. Official "all clear" or curfew-lift announcements from civil defense or government authority. Recognized humanitarian organizations (Red Cross, UNHCR, UN agencies) operating openly in the area. Neighbors visibly returning with household goods, not just reconnoitering. Reliable utility restoration — consistent electricity, running water. Explicit UXO-clearance announcements for specific areas.

Re-entry checklist.

  1. Confirm structural safety before entering any building: look for visible signs of damage (cracks in load-bearing walls, shifted foundations, damaged roof structure, collapsed sections). Do not enter if any of these are present until assessed by trained personnel.
  2. Turn off electrical breakers before entering a building with potential electrical damage. Do not turn on power until an electrician has assessed the system.
  3. Check for gas leaks before entering — smell at the door, do not use lighters or switches inside if gas is suspected. Open windows and doors from outside if possible.
  4. Assume water supply is contaminated until tested or treated. See boiling and disinfection.
  5. Do not enter previously-contested areas without explicit UXO clearance from civil defense or a demining organization. See Explosive Remnants section above.
  6. Document all damage with photographs before disturbing anything — this is required for insurance claims and post-conflict reconstruction assistance. Cross-reference post-disaster recovery for the claims and documentation framework.

Displacement registration. If you left your area during the conflict, register your return with local civil defense, your country's embassy or consulate, UNHCR, ICRC, or national Red Cross or Red Crescent. This affects your access to post-conflict assistance, property claims, and family-tracing services.

Family reunification. Continue using ICRC Family Links if any household members remain unaccounted for. Check all agreed-upon meeting points. Do not conclude that separated family members are gone until confirmed through professional tracing services — communications disruption during conflict routinely causes separations that tracing resolves weeks later.

Mental health. Post-traumatic stress, complicated grief, and survivor guilt are common after armed conflict and are treatable. Accessing qualified mental health support when it becomes available is not weakness — it is part of recovery. Community is a significant component of that recovery. See PTSD and trauma and mental health kit.

Failure modes

These are the most common civilian errors with the most serious consequences. Knowing them in advance is the preparation.

Waiting past the leave-window. The most common and most costly mistake. The evacuation decision does not get easier as fighting approaches; it gets harder. Families that leave when indicators are early face manageable inconvenience. Families that wait until fighting is nearby face active danger during movement.

Mixing with combatants while fleeing. Even uniformed military personnel fleeing through civilian areas can attract fire on the entire group. Maintain visible civilian status: no military gear, no covered faces that obscure identity, no formation movement that resembles a military column. Walk differently than combatants walk.

Posting locations online. Documented cases exist of strikes targeting locations identified through social media posts by family members who did not understand the operational security implications. This is not a theoretical risk.

Ignoring UXO warnings. Explosive remnants kill and injure civilians for years after the front line passes. Children are at the highest risk. Failure to teach children the recognition-and-reporting rule is one of the most preventable causes of post-conflict child casualties.

Separating without a documented family plan. Once local communications fail, family tracing can take weeks or months without a pre-agreed plan. Families with designated meeting points, out-of-area contacts, and ICRC registration reconnect significantly faster than those relying on improvised coordination under pressure.

Not preserving medical and identity documents. Without government-issued ID, aid access is harder, border crossing is harder, and post-conflict property claims may be nearly impossible. Without medical records, chronic-condition management becomes significantly more difficult when formal healthcare is eventually accessible. These documents are worth more than most of what else you would take.

Trusting unverified "safe routes" or shelter offers. Use vetted humanitarian channels — Red Cross, UNHCR, local civil defense — and not individual strangers offering evacuation assistance. Traffickers actively exploit displacement.

Improvising underground shelter. Civilians have died in conflict zones from improvised unventilated underground spaces: structural collapse under blast overpressure, flooding during rain, carbon monoxide from nearby fuel combustion accumulating in the confined space, and oxygen depletion. Use existing engineered structures. FEMA-compliant safe rooms and intact basements are the safe civilian shelter framework.

Teach your family

This is the short version. Read it aloud. Post it where your household can find it without searching.

Leave early if there is any warning. Leaving before is safer than leaving during. When neighbors are leaving, that is your signal.

Always carry your documents. Every person keeps the document packet on their body, not in a bag, not in the car.

If we cannot leave, stay low and away from windows. Inside rooms are safer. The more walls between us and outside, the better.

Never touch anything that looks like a weapon or military object. Do not approach it. Do not pick it up. Tell an adult immediately. Stay at least 330 feet (100 meters) away.

Stay together. If we get separated, the meeting points are: [household fills in — three locations]. The out-of-area contact is: [household fills in — name and multiple phone numbers].

Trust the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Look for the emblem. They are neutral and they are there to help.

Do not post where we are online. Do not film soldiers, weapons, checkpoints, or fighting. Phones stay in pockets.

The adult in charge makes the decision to move. Tell the adult what you see. Do not act alone.

Sources and next steps

Last reviewed: 2026-05-22

Source hierarchy:

  1. ICRC Rules of War FAQ — Geneva Conventions (Tier 1, ICRC official — civilian-protection basis)
  2. ICRC Conduct of Hostilities and Protection of Civilians (Tier 1, ICRC official — IHL framework)
  3. ICRC Family Links / Central Tracing Agency (Tier 1, ICRC official — family separation and tracing)
  4. UNHCR Protection in Armed Conflict Toolkit (Tier 1, UNHCR official — displacement protection)
  5. UNHCR Gender-Based Violence guidance (Tier 1, UNHCR official — sexual violence risk and response)
  6. UNMAS Landmines, ERW, and IED Safety Handbook (Tier 1, UN Mine Action Service — UXO recognition and reporting)
  7. Sphere Humanitarian Standards — Water and Sanitation (Tier 1, Sphere — emergency water thresholds 2 gal / 4 gal per person per day)
  8. WHO Emergency Water Technical Notes (Tier 1, WHO — water adequacy thresholds in humanitarian emergencies)

Legal/regional caveats: International humanitarian law applies to all parties in all armed conflicts regardless of jurisdiction. Civilian protections under the Geneva Conventions are universal and not contingent on nationality or the legal characterization of the conflict. Local civil defense instructions, when they exist, should be followed and supersede general guidance on this page. Checkpoint laws and checkpoint-operator rules of engagement vary by conflict and by party — consistent calm compliance is the universal safe behavior.

Safety stakes: life-safety topic — verify against current local/professional guidance and recognized humanitarian organizations before acting.

Next 3 links:

  • → Civil unrest — understand the escalation ladder that precedes armed conflict and the 5-level response framework
  • → Evacuation planning — build the multi-route, multi-mode evacuation plan that the leave-before-fighting rule requires
  • → Post-disaster recovery — the re-entry, claims, and reconstruction framework for after fighting ends (cross-Foundation)