Conflict and peace

Conflict locks countries into a cycle of poverty. It undermines development work, ignites emergencies and destroys infrastructure, like roads and services.

Afghanistan man with gun by rubble
The ‘War on Terror’ has led to a pressure from some donor governments to integrate aid into military operations.
© CARE 2002/Jason Sangster

Many countries where we work are in conflict, have fragile peace or are made vulnerable by local wars. 

CARE ensures civilians in war zones have places to go for help, and can access vital food and shelter.

Conflict Sensitivity 

Insensitive development projects can trigger or worsen conflicts, wasting chances for peace.

We work to make our projects ‘conflict sensitive’. Our staff and partners avoid unintentionally contributing to conflict. We bring people together to start, and support, peace-building projects.

Our advocacy focuses on:

  • Aid policy: influencing the UN-led humanitarian reform process, as well as reconstruction and state-building policies
  • Civil-military relations: protecting ‘humanitarian space’ so that we, and other aid agencies, can help those in conflict zones

Humanitarian Space

Negotiating access to provide aid in war zones is complex and dangerous.

In Afghanistan, Coalition forces who give aid to win ‘hearts and minds’ confuse our work and the conflict, making aid seem political.

This weakens our ability to operate safely and effectively, eroding our independence and potential to help civilians on different sides of conflict. More worryingly, it can turn us into targets.