150 years of humanitarian action: Photos past and present
2013 was the 150th anniversary of the ICRC. 2014 marked the 150th birthday of the original Geneva Convention. So for the last two years, we've been retracing our history and the history of …
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Iraq: A tough year for civilians, especially the displaced
29-12-2014 Another year in nearly three decades of turbulence in Iraq that saw various armed conflicts and other violence is coming to an end, but is also taking an immense toll on the civilian …
The ICRC in 2014 – Rising to the challenge
2014 has been a tough year. New and lasting conflicts, natural disasters and one of the worst epidemics in recent times have pushed people to their limits and beyond. The ICRC has been working in 80 …
South Sudan: Grace finds her mother
Grace Macon, a volunteer at the South Sudan Red Cross in Awerial County, describes how she first came in to contact with the Restoring Family Links service. Re-establishing contact with her mother, …
South Sudan: Helping the disabled walk again
Conflicts in the region have left many people injured for life, suddenly dealing with disability. Physical rehabilitation is key in helping them cope with their new reality. In two containers in Wau, …
Indonesia: Memories of the Tsunami, ten years on
It's ten years since one of the worst natural disasters on record claimed almost 250,000 lives in 14 countries, when a Tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean. Indonesia was hardest hit, followed by …
Jordan: Providing water to refugees and host communities
22-12-2014 With the influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees into the northern governorates of Jordan, the demand for water has grown significantly. The ICRC has expanded its water …
Ukraine: Helping rebuild homes
Semenovka in eastern Ukraine was hit particularly hard by fighting in 2014. Local people have set up a reconstruction committee, pooling meagre resources to repair their homes as best they can. As …
South Sudan: Red Cross volunteers save lives
When emergencies occur, the South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC) is one of the first to respond to the needs of the people affected. SSRC volunteers are often on the scene of the emergency within minutes, …
South Sudan: Feeding the hungry from the sky
Mary Nyakola Thoat is one of the many South Sudanese people internally displaced by the ongoing conflict. While she is now in a safer location, Mary faces another challenge: hunger. Isolated by …
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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.