Neutrality in war - a lifeline across front lines
In today’s most volatile conflicts - from the Middle East to Eastern Europe and Central Africa - it is civilians who, almost without exception, pay the heaviest price. Conflict for civilians means …
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Syria: When access is key, assistance is a lifeline
For millions of Syrians, life in a country strained by consequences of years of conflict and affected by natural disasters and emergencies, remains a daily struggle. While clashes ebb and flow, …
Example Rules for Fighters: From the Perspective of Islamic Law
This document provides the Islamic law perspective to a concise set of international humanitarian law (IHL) rules that non-state armed groups must respect and should integrate into their operational …
Myanmar: Rebuilding lives shattered by earthquake and armed conflict
27-06-2025 Geneva/Yangon (ICRC) – Three months after a devastating earthquake hit central Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of people in the country are still struggling to rebuild their lives and meet …
ICRC president: When the rules of war are applied selectively, they lose their protective power
ICRC president Mirjana Spoljaric delivered the opening speech at the 7th edition of Tocqueville Conversations in Normandy, France on 27 June 2025. Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, It is a …
Frequently asked questions: The ICRC's work in Iran
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been in Iran since 1977. We work in partnership with the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and other Iranian organizations in the fields of …
Mongolia: Promoting Humanitarian Principles at Khaan Quest 2025
ICRC engages with multinational peacekeepers in Mongolia to strengthen respect for international humanitarian law From 13 to 20 June 2025, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) …
Humanity in Action 2024: A Year in Review
The Humanity in Action Report provides an at-a-glance guide of how we protected and assisted victims of armed conflict and other violence in some of the world's most challenging environments in 2024. …
International Humanitarian Law Bibliography
The ICRC International Humanitarian Law Bibliography lists references to publications in English and French on international humanitarian law. The bibliography is based on books and other material in …
Israel and the occupied territories: ICRC alarmed by intensification of Gaza hostilities amid decimated healthcare system
02-07-2025 Gaza (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is deeply alarmed by the intensifying hostilities in Gaza City and Jabaliya, which have reportedly caused dozens of deaths …
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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.