DR Congo: A market in the middle of the bush
Basic household goods were recently distributed in the highlands of Kalehe, South Kivu, in the rather unconventional style of a market. Set up for people whose homes had been looted or destroyed when …
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Democratic Republic of the Congo: Béni inhabitants live in climate of tension
The Béni area of northern North Kivu province has endured several years of violence in connection with the conflict between Ugandan armed group the Allied Democratic Forces and the armed forces of …
Yemen: Where honeybees improve livelihoods
Sidr honey – a precious commodity in Yemen – is considered the most expensive honey in the world. Produced by artisanal beekeepers in eastern and southern governorates of the country, it is not only …
Responding to sexual violence in conflict: How can we do better?
Widespread sexual violence unfortunately remains a largely invisible phenomenon due to cultural taboos, feelings of shame or fear of retaliation. Its prevalence and its consequences are thus vastly …
Internment in armed conflict: Basic rules and challenges
Deprivation of liberty - detention - is a common and lawful occurrence in armed conflict that is governed by a large number of provisions of international humanitarian law (IHL). Like other bodies of …
Nepal: Wives of disappeared give mutual support - Nepali Times
Sobha Rani Tharu said her husband's name so softly it was nearly lost in the hot, dry wind. "My husband is Babu Ram Tharu," she said in the pratikchya griha, or waiting place, her lavender scarf …
Chemical weapons use: An unacceptable repeat of history that demands attention
Nineteenth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, 1 – 5 December 2014, The Hague, Netherlands. Statement by the ICRC. The centenary of the first use of …
Strengthening Compliance with IHL – Preparatory discussion, 1-2 December 2014
Preparatory Discussion in view of the Fourth Meeting of States on Strengthening Compliance with IHL 1 and 2 December 2014 BACKGROUND DOCUMENT GENEVA, OCTOBER 2014 Contents 1. Introduction …
Crimea: People from eastern Ukraine receive food and other essentials
Many residents of eastern Ukraine who fled their homes because of the fighting have found temporary refuge in Crimea. Some have only what they could carry. These people need the most basic things: …
Libya: Tens of thousands affected by fighting
Prolonged conflicts in Benghazi and the west of Libya have displaced tens of thousands of people inside the country. The ICRC has distributed emergency medical supplies to more than 20 hospitals and …
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Customary international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.