Humanitarian challenges 2017: ICRC Colombia Report
During 2016, the ICRC recorded 838 alleged violations of IHL and other humanitarian principles that affected nearly 18,600 people in Colombia. The organization is also concerned about the …
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Electricity shortages affect all aspects of life in Gaza
Al-Sheikh Ejleen - Central Gaza Due to power shortage, wastewater treatment plants are no longer fully functional. Without the treatment, wastewater, contaminated with feces, gets pumped directly …
Kosovo: Families of missing persons are still looking for answers
''Our hopes won't vanish until they - or something belonging to them - is found, dead or alive, we believe the truth will come out.'' Every person's disappearance means a lifetime struggle for the …
The ICRC in Kyrgyzstan: Facts and figures, January – April 2017
During January, February, March and April 2017, the ICRC delegation in Kyrgyzstan continued assisting victims of violence, visiting detainees and providing improved access to basic health care. We …
Young People and IHL: Exploring Humanitarian Law
Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) is a resource pack for teachers to introduce students aged 13 to 18 to the basic rules of international humanitarian law. It was designed by the CICR in close …
Why there should be a humanitarian dimension to China's Belt and Road project
Thank you to the Chinese Government for inviting the ICRC to the Belt and Road Forum. At ICRC we've been following the development of the Belt and Road Initiative with great interest. We commend this …
A crucial lifeline is restoring dignity for drought-affected families in Somalia
54-year-old Isaaq Abdirahman’s crops were wiped out by the severe drought in Somalia. When conditions did not improve, he moved his family to a displacement camp on the outskirts of Baidoa where they …
ICRC’s response to Syrians' needs in Jordan in 2016
The majority of Syrians who sought refuge in Jordan came with little or no belongings. Due to the protracted nature of the Syrian conflict, their financial assets were quickly depleted. Some 80% of …
Bangladesh: Regional Conference for correctional managers
12-05-2017 Geneva/Dhaka – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Bangladesh's prison directorate are hosting the fourth Asia-Pacific Correctional Managers Conference in Dhaka from 16 …
ICRC President visits China to attend the “Belt & Road” Forum for International Cooperation
12-05-2017 Geneva/Beijing (ICRC) – On the invitation of the government of the People's Republic of China, ICRC President Peter Maurer is starting tomorrow a three-day visit to China, to attend the …
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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.
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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.
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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.