GENEVA, Feb 28 — Escalating military action in the Middle East is triggering a perilous ripple effect across the region, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Saturday.
GENEVA, Feb 28 — Escalating military action in the Middle East is triggering a perilous ripple effect across the region, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross warned on Saturday.
ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric urged states to uphold the rules of war and called for the political resolve needed to avert “further death and destruction”.
“The military escalation in the Middle East is setting off a dangerous chain reaction throughout the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians,” she said in a statement.
“Respect for the rules of war is a legal obligation, not an option. In international armed conflicts, international humanitarian law — particularly the four Geneva Conventions — applies.”
Based in Geneva, the ICRC serves as the guardian of international humanitarian law (IHL), which aims to limit the impact of armed conflict by protecting those not, or no longer, involved in hostilities and by restricting the means and methods of warfare.
Spoljaric stressed that civilian infrastructure — including hospitals, homes and schools — must not be targeted, and that medical workers and first responders must be able to perform their duties safely.
She added that the ICRC has teams operating in Iran, Israel and elsewhere in the region, and stands ready to respond within its mandate wherever access is possible.
However, she cautioned that “humanitarian assistance cannot keep pace with or fully address the scale of suffering caused by ongoing conflict; political will is essential to secure peace and prevent further death and destruction.” — AFP
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