Taking action, not sides: the benefits of humanitarian neutrality in war
In this post – part of our new series ‘Back to basics: humanitarian principles in contemporary armed conflict’ and released in tandem with Just Security – Fiona Terry, head of the ICRC’s Centre for Op...
21 Jun 20229min
Back to basics: humanitarian principles in contemporary armed conflict
As with many conflicts in the past, the Ukraine crisis has revived heated discussions on the humanitarian principles and their relevance in contemporary armed conflict. We have all been reminded how t...
16 Jun 20228min
Left behind: reparations and assistance for families of missing and disappeared persons
As people continue to go missing in all regions of the world, thousands of families are left behind. They do not know whether their loved ones are alive or dead, and go through phases of ambiguous los...
2 Jun 202211min
In the hands of belligerents: status and protection under the Geneva Conventions
When international armed conflict breaks out and people find themselves in the power of belligerent States, the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 activate with full force. By requiring humane treatment ...
19 Mai 202213min
The Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organization, one year on
“The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being and the health of the planet. Any further delay in concerted global action will miss the brief, rapidly closing ...
12 Mai 20229min
Collateral damage from the use of indirect fire in populated areas – can it be avoided?
Collateral damage is the unintended damage inflicted on humans, structures, animals and the natural environment that are not the target of the attack. The lack of precision in the delivery of explosiv...
5 Mai 202213min
How do IHL and Islamic law protect and ensure humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan?
Against a backdrop of decades of conflict and crisis, Afghanistan’s regime change in August 2021 once again propelled the need for humanitarian assistance to the forefront. Not only have needs spiked,...
28 Apr 202215min
Lifting the cloak of invisibility: civilians with disabilities in armed conflict
Even with one in seven people worldwide living with some form of disability, this group has been largely invisible in the implementation of international humanitarian law (IHL) on the conduct of hosti...
21 Apr 202215min
