It prohibits torture and ill-treatment of people in detention, attacks on humanitarian or medical workers, and the use of certain weaponry such as chemical or biological weapons. More: /ZpLKQ1Omhu- IRC - International Rescue Committee May 24, 2022 identified 1335 acts of violence against health workers or obstruction of healthcare in 2021 in conflict zones globally & calls for accountability and action.īehind every statistic is a person. The International Committee of the Red Cross writes that IHL seeks to “preserve a measure of humanity amidst conflict, with the guiding principle that even in war there are limits.” It protects civilians and those not or no longer involved in the fighting, including medical and religious personnel, wounded combatants, civilian internees, and prisoners of war. International humanitarian law is sometimes called “the law of war” or “the law of armed conflict.” Put simply, IHL consists of rules for armed conflict intended to limit the impacts of the violence, whether internal or between states. What is international humanitarian law (IHL)?
So how does international humanitarian law work exactly? And why is it so important? Get the facts and find out how these critical rules apply to Ukraine and conflicts around the world. Mass suffering like that seen in Ukraine has become all too familiar as these laws are disregarded in conflicts in Syria, Yemen, the Sahel region in Africa and around the world. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is calling on all sides to adhere to international humanitarian law (IHL), the rules aimed at regulating conduct and protecting civilians in war. Over 12 million people have been displaced, with some making it to Poland and the European Union while others try to find safety in other areas of Ukraine. There have been more than 200 attacks on health centers in just over three months of war. Critical infrastructure–such as hospitals and bridges–has been destroyed. As the war in Ukraine continues, civilians are being injured and killed at alarming numbers.