Part III Important Themes in Armed Conflicts in 2013, 7 Protecting persons with disabilities in armed conflict

It has been claimed that more than 500 million people with disabilities1 live in countries often affected by conflicts and natural disasters.2 Armed conflict and armed violence not only cause disabilities, they also exacerbate the consequences of disabilities.3 Persons with intellectual disabilities are at particular risk of injury or death during conflicts, either because they have been specifically targeted4 or due to a reduced ability to protect themselves.5 Of the hundreds of thousands of people wounded by armed violence each year, many are condemned to...