UN chief 'outraged' over civilian war casualties

UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland accused UN member states of failing to live up to the pledge they made last year to protect civilians caught in armed conflicts, saying attacks against non-combatants increased by 55% between 1989 and 2005.

Even though recent analysis indicates that the number of conflicts declined by 40% since 1989, he said, civilians are increasingly the victims, with the most significant increase occurring in the last five years.