UN: More than 50 million people affected by urban conflicts

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations chief says more than 50 million people are currently affected by conflict in urban areas from Afghanistan to Libya, Syria, Yemen and beyond where they face a much higher risk of being killed or injured. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that in some cases civilians may be mistaken for combatants and be attacked. He says that in others, fighters don’t take measures to minimize harm and use explosive weapons in crowded areas that lead to devastating suffering for ordinary people. Guterres said the risk of harm to civilians “rises when combatants move among them .”