COMMENT | Ukraine: Parties must uphold international humanitarian law

COMMENT | We are seeing a devastating humanitarian crisis unfold in Ukraine. The ICRC is urgently reminding the parties to the conflict to fulfil their legal obligations to avoid further civilian suffering and loss of life.

The Geneva Conventions and their First Additional Protocol are fully applicable in the international armed conflict taking place in Ukraine. Parties to that conflict must therefore respect the set of rules they have committed to that protect people during the conflict.

That means sparing the civilian population from military operations. They should also immediately allow safe passage for people fleeing the fighting.

To alleviate suffering and protect the population, the ICRC is determined to fulfil in Ukraine the mandate the nations of the world gave us seven decades ago in the Geneva Conventions.

That work must be facilitated right now - when fighting is causing massive humanitarian needs –not delayed until a potential future cease-fire. Parties have the obligation to facilitate that work even as conflict rages.