What is international humanitarian law?
International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules that seeks, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. It protects persons who are not, or are no longer, directly or …
Skip to main content
Search results
ICRC Pakistan Holds Regional Training Course on Islam and IHL
From 21-24 June 2022, the Pakistan Delegation of the ICRC organized its annual four-day Regional Training Course on Islam and IHL in Islamabad. 31 professors of Islamic Studies from around the …
Ukraine: How basic food support becomes a lifeline for those escaping to safer places
For Svetlana, an elderly resident in the Donetsk region, living through the hostilities these last few months has been overwhelming. "I have no money at all so I can´t buy food, not even bread," she …
World Peace Forum: ICRC calls for multilateral cooperation and new approaches to conflict prevention and resolution
On July 4, 2022, Beijing, China, Pierre Krähenbühl, the personal envoy of the ICRC president to China and head of regional delegation for East Asia, delivers a speech at the panel on "United Nations, …
Yemen: Women and girls struggle to access essential healthcare
Sana’a (ICRC) – Eight years into the armed conflict in Yemen, violence, economic hardship and deteriorating health services and health infrastructure increasingly keep women and girls from being able …
Afghanistan: People suffer as spending capacity shrinks and prices rise
A deepening economic crisis, fueled by decades of conflicts, is affecting the people of Afghanistan on many different levels. In August 2021, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) took control of …
Myanmar: Urgent needs for displaced communities in southern Shan
Shan State in Myanmar is home to many diverse communities. It is the largest state in the country, bordering China to the north, Laos to the east and Thailand to the south. But for decades, this …
“Tell him we love him deeply”: Families of prisoners of war are desperate for answers
As the international armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine grinds on, families of prisoners of war (POWs) are desperate for answers about their loved ones. The International Committee of the Red …
What you need to know about autonomous weapons
Autonomous weapons are not a work of science fiction from a distant dystopian future. They are an immediate cause of humanitarian concern and demand an urgent, international political response. …
Update on the humanitarian situation in Colombia
This report sets out the facts and figures for the period of January to June 2022. The humanitarian consequences of the armed conflicts and violence afflicting Colombia continue to worsen alarmingly. …
Didn’t find what you were looking for?
Try one of the following resources:
ICRC library
Created in 1863, the ICRC library, alongside the ICRC archives, provides an indispensable documentary reference on the organization itself and international humanitarian law.
IHL treaties
International humanitarian law is based on a number of treaties, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, and a series of other instruments.
Customary IHL
Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.