ICRC emphasizes humanitarian access and IHL at EHF 2023
The second edition of the European Humanitarian Forum was held in Brussels, Belgium, on 20 and 21 March 2023. The conference is jointly organized by the European Commission (DG ECHO, …
Skip to main content
Search results
Somalia: Prisoners receive food for Ramadan
24-03-2023 As Muslims around the world usher in the holy month of Ramadan, detainees in Somalia will also be able to join in the spirit of the occasion. Close to 4,000 detainees across 12 places of …
Venezuela: Water is a precious resource for the communities we help
Water and hygiene in health centres For health centre staff, access to water – to ensure that hygiene standards are maintained – is just as important as the availability of medicines and medical …
Ukraine: ICRC delivers much-needed aid to civilians near Bakhmut
Kyiv (ICRC) - The International Committee of the Red Cross delivered much-needed humanitarian assistance to Kostiantynivka and Chasiv Yar, two locations close to Bakhmut, where the fighting has been …
Colombia: Humanitarian Challenges 2023
In Colombia, armed conflict and violence continues to have a deep impact on the civilian population. Many civilians have been wounded, killed or gone missing; relatives have been separated from their …
Unending uncertainty
To not know whether a loved one is dead or alive, what has happened to them or where they are was the painful reality for hundreds of Colombian families last year. People continue to go missing in …
'The importance of humanitarian action': Lorenzo Caraffi
No matter where I am in the world, I am often asked how it is possible to remain neutral when confronted with the suffering of people affected by armed conflict. It isn't easy. Every humanitarian …
Armenia։ Facts and Figures - January to December 2022
Through our delegation in Yerevan and sub-delegations in Goris and Ijevan we continued to support those affected by the conflict escalations in autumn 2020, 2021 and September 2022. Due to presence …
A lost generation – drawings from the children of Al-Hol, Syria
Everyone has hopes and dreams. But for the thousands of children still trapped in Al-Hol, hope is in very short supply. Around 55,000 people are currently stuck in the sprawling camp, in north-east …
Visa Pour l'Image: Call for participation for the 2023 Humanitarian Visa d’Or Award
From 16 March to 12 June 2023, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is inviting all professional photojournalists to take part in its photojournalism contest, the ICRC Humanitarian …
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.