Conflicts (Page 4)

In photos, we take a look at the dedicated work of Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers in a time of turmoil. Aleppo and other cities in Syria have been impacted by conflict for the past five years, but volunteers have dedicated their time to helping others throughout.

For civilian populations, war and conflict bring hardship. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) exists to protect those who are not fighting, or who are no longer fighting in wars and conflicts – and to help populations from suffering. IHL protects civilians from being targets, but also protects the materials civilians need to survive 

The Round-up offers a weekly sample of what our sister Red Cross Societies are working on around the world.

Christie Edwards, JD, LLM, is National Director of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for the American Red Cross. In advance of the Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law Competition, an annual event that will be held on March 12-15, 2016 in Seattle, Christie took a moment to outline how International Humanitarian Law plays out in our daily lives, at home and around the world.

August 30 marks International Day of the Disappeared – a day to remember those who have suffered  from the traumatic experience of a disappeared  family member and to provide help and hope for those still searching.

A recent spike in hostilities, including the intense ground fighting, has heightened the suffering of Yemen’s civilian population. It is estimated that since March, nearly 4,000 people have been killed, 19,000 injured and 1.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Severe shortages of water, food and fuel continue across the country as well as airstrikes and ground fighting.

When pre-election violence broke out in Burundi in April, volunteers with the Burundi Red Cross were among the first to respond. The protests led to a number of casualties, and forced more than 96,000 people to seek safety in neighbouring countries.

Defining a child soldier, determining appropriate treatment for prisoners of war, and negotiating peaceful resolutions were among the tasks completed recently by university students participating in a Red Cross club workshop at the University of Calgary.  

The interactive Paxium workshop focused on International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and increased awareness of the difficult decisions political, military, and civilian personnel have to make during conflicts.