Anti-personnel mines
Wars should end when the fighting stops. But anti-personnel mines continue to kill and maim even though the war is over. And it is mainly civilians who suffer the horrific consequences. …
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Wheels of innovation at Peshawar paraplegic centre
Work goes on at hectic pace as eight people stand on either side of an assembly line, manufacturing wheelchairs for persons with disabilities at the paraplegic centre in Peshawar. Two of the workers …
Engaging with religious circles on Islamic Law and IHL
The relationship between Islamic law and IHL is a unique avenue for strengthening understanding and encouraging debate on humanitarian principles and humanitarian issues, in light of Islamic …
Engaging practitioners on the application of international humanitarian law (IHL)
First Foundation Course on International Humanitarian Law Presently, the world faces more than 40 instances of armed conflict and other situations of violence across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. …
Ethiopia: Restoring hope for people displaced by ethnic violence
Aysha Ibrahim is a mother of ten children who lives in Darolebu district, an area located in eastern Ethiopia, where ethnic Oromos and Somalis live alongside one another. The 42-year-old is among the …
Celebrating Ramadan amidst Aleppo's destruction
Ramadan has always been a bustling time in Aleppo. Markets are full of people looking for food and produce for their fasting families. CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC /Ali Youssef Abu Ahmad had to close his …
ICRC statement to UN Security Council open debate on protection of civilians in armed conflict
Delivered by ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord I am honoured to address the Security Council today on the topic at the heart of the ICRC's mission and mandate, and at the centre of all aspects of …
Life in ruins: Marawi conflict, one year on
Diane from Saguiaran My husband and I didn’t know where to go, or whom to ask for help. We just followed the sea of people walking out of Marawi City. A year after the conflict, we still don’t have …
Marawi conflict: One year on, longing and uncertainty for displaced families
Manila (ICRC) – Around 230,000 people remain displaced and in need of stronger support one year after armed conflict broke out in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, southern Philippines. “Efforts to …
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Fragmentation of violence increases needs, ICRC president says
Statement A statement from International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer at the conclusion of a five-day visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, during which he met with …
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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.