Greece snapshot: January–August 2017
Some 18,000 migrants have crossed from Turkey into the Aegean islands since the beginning of 2017. Οne in three people arriving in Greece is from Syria, followed by Iraqis and Afghans. The ICRC …
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International Review of the Red Cross - War and security at sea
The International Review of the Red Cross is pleased to announce the online launch of its new edition on "War and security at sea". This issue of the Review addresses not only the IHL …
Somalia: Fishing trade sees boost from boat engines, freezers
The ocean breeze and endless waves lash the golden shores of the small coastal town of Eyl in northern Somalia. Located at the edge of a rocky landscape, this old town feels hidden from the rest of …
Why a radiant Spanish physiotherapist was so well loved
The International Committee of the Red Cross family remembers Spanish physiotherapist Lorena Enebral Perez, 38, a passionate and dedicated professional who was killed in Afghanistan on Sept. 11. The …
Urban Services during Protracted Armed Conflict
Urbanization is constantly on the rise, with cities already absorbing more than half of the world’s population and armed conflicts increasingly being fought in urban settings. Regions facing …
Changing the narrative on IHL
On 27 September 2017, the ICRC convened a live-streamed panel of experts at the Humanitarium to discuss how to change the narrative on international humanitarian law (IHL), by thinking of new ways of …
Somalia: Fishing in an old "pirate" town
The sunrise in Eyl glistens off the ocean, giving it a golden sheen. The days start at 4:30 a.m., as the fishermen enter the waters immediately after the morning prayers. Fishing is the main …
Honduras: Dreaming of you
In Honduras, two mothers dream of their missing sons coming back home According to official figures, around five Hondurans go missing along the migration route every month. Over the past few years, …
Papua New Guinea: Health workers train to treat survivors of sexual violence
03-10-2017 MOUNT HAGEN (ICRC) – Training for health workers on how to administer emergency treatment to survivors of sexual violence is being held for the first time in Papua New Guinea by the …
IHL and Persons with Disabilities
International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules that, in times of armed conflict, seeks – for humanitarian reasons – to protect persons who are not, or are no longer directly participating in …
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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.