In Marawi City, Lanao del Sur province in Mindanao, southern Philippines, dozens of families are still unaware of the fate of loved ones who disappeared in the five-month armed conflict that started on 23 May 2017.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, detainees around the world struggled to establish or maintain contact with their loved ones. With public health restrictions such as the suspension of face-to-face visits in many countries over the past year, the challenge has increased tenfold.
In Mindanao, the Philippines’ island in the south, protracted conflicts and constant displacement has seriously disrupted young people’s access to education. The long-term repercussions of this for children and the community at large are barely reported.
Geneva (ICRC) – Countries affected by conflict are also disproportionately impacted by climate change, a double threat that pushes people out of their homes, disrupts food production, cuts off supplies, amplifies diseases and weakens health-care services.
The ongoing economic and food security impact of COVID-19 is massive and appears likely to worsen over time.
Hundreds of thousands of people, displaced by violence in Myanmar, live in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. It is a precarious existence at the best of times; when so many people live so close together, disease can spread easily.
With Covid-19 now spreading on every continent, distancing has become the new normal. But the rules for avoiding infection are almost impossible in prison.
As the collective memory of the 20th century’s two world wars fades, what do millennials think about war? How much do they know about the international laws and conventions designed to protect civilians and prohibit atrocities? And do they think these laws are even worthwhile?
World Humanitarian Day this year (Monday August 19) honours women humanitarians who serve, and support affected communities in conflict zones across the globe.
The Geneva Conventions – one of humanity’s most important accomplishments of the last century - turn 70 on August 12. It’s a moment to celebrate....