Just attempting to live a normal life is still an everyday struggle for many Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Particularly hard hit are communities living close to settlements or to the West Bank barrier, in areas under full Israeli civil and military control referred to as "Area C" (more than 50% of the West Bank), where Israeli-imposed restrictions are often preventing them from living a normal and dignified life.
In Haiti, thousands of people live in anguish, unsure whether their relatives have been buried under the rubble or alive and unable to communicate. In a city where normal communications are shattered, the ICRC is using every means available to help people get find out what happened to loved ones. Satellite phones and a special website (www.icrc.org/familylinks), are helping thousands to call abroad to reassure their families and pass on vital news. Many Haitians depend on support from relatives abroad, so getting in touch is vital. For many, those relatives are now the only ones they have.
ICRC is sending its first emergency relief team of 12 people to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake from Geneva early tomorrow morning. They will support staff already in place.
Children and war - ICRC calls for children to be offered better protection in countries at war
Since fighting intensified in eastern Congo in August 2008 between government troops and armed opposition groups, the number of opposition groups, the number of cases of rape and other sexual abuse against civilians has been increasing.
The report, entitled Our world. Views from the field, offers a stark vision of the experiences, needs and hopes of people struggling under the impact of violence.
This broadcast quality footage is a compilation of recent images illustrating the work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement worldwide, namely the international Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the 186 National Societies active in their respective countries.
The ICRC Surgical Hospital for Weapon Wounded patients, a 60 bed, tented field hospital, will be formally opened in Peshawar, north-west Pakistan on 29 April. The hospital has been set up to treat the increasing number of people injured as a result of armed conflict in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) and NWFP (North-West Frontier Province). The Hospital will be opened by ICRC President Jacob Kellenberger, who is visiting the region to see for himself the extent to which civilian lives are endangered by the growing conflict in the area.
In areas ravaged by conflict, the health needs of women are often neglected and ignored. As the bombs fall, the damage to infrastructure and communications affects the whole community but women are particularly at risk. They are often prevented from reaching a health facility to give birth safely, or to care for their sick children. In some conflict-torn areas they suffer sexual violence, including rape. And while the war-wounded and emergency cases get priority, women's needs, and in particular the needs of pregnant mothers and their children, are often given scant attention.
As Egypt prepares to host an international conference in Sharm el-Sheikh (starting 2 March) the ICRC warns that emergency aid and reconstruction will not be enough to resolve the crisis in Gaza unless there is a prospect of a lasting peace.
For assistance and technical questions, please Contact Us