Food security
Nowhere are the consequences of the global food crisis felt more than in countries already facing humanitarian crises and torn apart by decades of warfare or instability. International humanitarian …
Nowhere are the consequences of the global food crisis felt more than in countries already facing humanitarian crises and torn apart by decades of warfare or instability. International humanitarian …
The Third Geneva Convention protects prisoners of war. It defines their rights and sets out detailed rules for their treatment and release. International humanitarian law also protects other people …
Anti-personnel mines continue to maim and kill even after conflicts end – and it is mainly civilians who suffer the horrific consequences. Highlight Why the Mine Ban Convention was worth fighting for …
The ICRC's long-standing work addressing internal displacement globally is guided by our mandate to protect the lives and dignity of people affected by armed conflict and other violence. We focus on …
International humanitarian law protects the natural environment and aims to limit the damage caused to it during war. Highlight Is it ever justifiable to damage nature when waging war? Can nature be …
Every year, large numbers of civilians are killed or injured by explosive remnants of war, a term that refers to the unexploded ordnance – such as shells, grenades and bombs – left behind after a …
International humanitarian law covers all armed conflicts – on land, at sea or in the air. Nevertheless, some treaty and customary law applies specifically to naval and aerial warfare. Highlights War …
International humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law are two distinct but complementary bodies of law. They are both concerned with the protection of life, health and dignity. IHL …
States party to international humanitarian law treaties must take certain legal and administrative measures to comply with the obligations they have undertaken. This section deals with various topics …
The interplay between international humanitarian law (IHL) and Islamic law of war Islamic law of war In our engagement with communities affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, …
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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.
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 international humanitarian law consists of rules that come from "a general practice accepted as law" and that exist independent of treaty law.