Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide, Second Edition Second Edition | Page 53

Protection of Civilians Military Reference Guide
i. Terrorism. Extremists may use terrorist attacks to pursue political, religious, or symbolic
objectives. These acts are often conducted against soft targets, with civilians frequently the
victims.
j. Other PoC Risk Types. In addition, the general contexts may create other risks to civilians,
including:
• Food and water insecurity.
• Adverse health impacts.
• Adverse environmental impacts.
• Adverse societal impacts.
• Adverse education impacts.
• Adverse economic impacts.
• Property disputes.
• Border tensions.
• Corruption.
• Regional instability.
V ULNERABILITIES AND T HREATS
PoC risks are a function of vulnerabilities and threats that create situations in which violence
and deprivation harm civilian well-being. The military force should understand vulnerabilities and
threats as perceived by the local population, which may have a different perspective from
international actors.
a. Vulnerabilities. The vulnerability of individuals or populations can be understood in terms
of exposure to an imminent or specific threat. For example, ethnic or sectarian violence may target
certain groups within a population, rendering those more vulnerable than others. Civilians in the
proximity of military targets may be more vulnerable to collateral damage. Some groups may be
vulnerable in certain contexts, including women, children, or the elderly, infirm, and disabled.
Vulnerabilities may also include a lack of access to services such as food and life-saving assistance.
Vulnerabilities can be mitigated with different approaches, often involving other actors besides the
military force. Conversely, vulnerabilities can increase if protection actors are not present or are
constrained (for example, if they are targeted or obstructed by host-state security forces). Civil ians
may elect to take actions that they perceive as legitimate, but which could increase their risk from
violence. Some potential examples include protesting against grievances, supporting “enemies” of
the state, protecting property, assisting family or community members, or resisting displacement
efforts.
b. Threats. Threats are based upon the capability, intent, and opportunity to harm civilians.
Military forces should understand the identity of potential perpetrators (e.g., government forces,
government-aligned armed groups and proxies, or nongovernment armed groups). It is important
to understand the types of risk created by perpetrators, their motivations and strategies, and their
critical factors as discussed in Task 3—Understand the Actors.
c. Dimensions. Civilian vulnerabilities and threats are assessed based on dimensions that
include the following:
• Scale—the number of affected civilians.
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