Middle East: Protection of civilians urgently needed as violence escalates
Geneva (ICRC) — As civilian deaths and injuries continue to rise, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is urgently appealing for parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law and to protect and respect civilian life and infrastructure.
“We call on parties to pull back from the precipice of a wider regional conflict that would plunge communities already affected by violence deeper into crisis,” said ICRC chief spokesperson Christian Cardon. “The last year has seen indescribable levels of suffering in the region. In recent days, we have seen new scenes of death, displacement, and destruction, with homes destroyed and loved ones killed. The fear of imminent attacks has triggered panic with people fleeing with whatever they can carry. Civilians will undoubtedly pay the highest price if the conflict further escalates.”
The rising number of injured is putting health facilities under strain. Families are also separated and struggling to stay in touch with one another. The ICRC is assessing the most urgent needs together with partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to respond where most needed, including support for those displaced from their homes as well as health care facilities.
Under international humanitarian law, constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations and to distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives.
The ICRC is committed to continuing its work to help people affected by armed conflict and other forms of violence and to enhance respect for international humanitarian law. This will include supplying medical items to health care facilities and providing cash, food, and household items to thousands of families. This also covers supplies for displaced people living in collective shelters, together with the Lebanese Red Cross.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
For more information, please contact:
Christian Cardon, ICRC Geneva, +41 79 574 05 64, [email protected]
Sally Aoun, ICRC Beirut, +961 81 314 798, [email protected]
Christoph Hanger, ICRC Jerusalem, +41 79 731 04 03, [email protected]
