From “total war” to “total defence”: tracing the origins of civilian involvement in armed conflict

April 30, 2025 14 mins read Analysis / Conduct of Hostilities / Generating Respect for IHL / History / Humanitarian Action / IHL Ruben Stewart

When states adapt “total defence” strategies that mobilize entire populations in preparation for armed conflict, ...

War in cities: a solemn appeal from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

January 7, 2025 6 mins read Access / Accountability / Analysis / Armed Groups / Conduct of Hostilities / Generating Respect for IHL / Humanitarian Action / Humanitarian diplomacy / Humanitarian Principles / IHL

Around the world, civilians in cities at war face immense risks. Urban warfare devastates lives ...

Beyond prevalence: new approaches to measuring sexual- and gender-based violence prevention in conflict settings

December 5, 2024 12 mins read Analysis / Gender / Gender and conflict / IHL / Sexual Violence / Social Protection / Special Protections / Special Themes Zuleyka Piniella & Jessica Lenz

When discussing the measurement of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention in humanitarian settings, reactions ...

Trying to square the circle: the ICRC AI Policy

November 28, 2024 16 mins read Accountability / Analysis / Humanitarian Action / New Technologies / Technology in Humanitarian Action Pierrick Devidal

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies brings significant opportunities, and risks, for principled humanitarian ...

Climate action in conflict and fragile settings: closing the implementation gap

November 12, 2024 12 mins read Access / Analysis / Climate change, conflict and humanitarian action / Humanitarian Action / Social Protection / Special Themes Catherine-Lune Grayson & Amir Khouzam

Communities in conflict-affected areas are direly impacted by growing climate risks and shocks. Over the ...

Dehumanizing detention: degrading our collective humanity

November 7, 2024 6 mins read Analysis / Communications / Detention / Social Protection Terry Hackett

Language matters and the protections of international law are crucial when facing global trends of dehumanization. Dehumanizing narratives strip people of their dignity, ...

Protecting essential service personnel is a vital part of humanitarian action

October 10, 2024 9 mins read Access / Analysis / Humanitarian Action / IHL / Special Protections Marnie Lloydd, Peter Herby, Caroline Baudot & Tobias Ehret

Water and wastewater pipelines, electricity lines and telecommunication installations permeate contemporary urban landscapes and form ...

Beyond the rubble: eight overlooked ways that urban warfare is affecting children

August 22, 2024 14 mins read Analysis / Children in conflict / Conduct of Hostilities / Education in Armed Conflict / Persons with disabilities / Protection of education / Social Protection / Special Protections / Special Themes / Urban warfare Timothy P. Williams, Alexandra Jackson & Vanessa Murphy

In cities from Gaza to those in Sudan and Ukraine, childhoods are irrevocably changed by ...

Principles under pressure: have humanitarian principles really stood the test of time?

July 11, 2024 12 mins read Analysis / Humanitarian Action / Humanitarian Principles / Humanitarian principles in contemporary armed conflict / Special Themes Olivier Ray

Recent conflicts have brought to light the jarring personal dilemmas humanitarian workers confront and provoked ...

Forced to report: mandatory reporting of sexual violence in armed conflict

July 4, 2024 14 mins read Accountability / Analysis / Gender / Gender and conflict / Health Care / IHL / Sexual Violence / Social Protection / Special Themes Maria Carolina Aissa de Figueredo

Over the last decade, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and its Red ...

What are the transformative potentials of sexual and reproductive health and rights in humanitarian assistance: a feminist inquiry

April 18, 2024 12 mins read Access / Analysis / Gender / Gender and conflict / Health Care / Health care / Humanitarian Action / Sexual Violence / Social Inclusion / Social Protection / Special Themes Peixuan Xie

From frontline female combatants with the People’s Defence Force in Myanmar to queer Syrian refugees ...

From theology to technology: a call for IHL ambassadors in the Asia-Pacific region

March 28, 2024 11 mins read Analysis / Education in Armed Conflict / Generating Respect for IHL / Humanitarian Action / IHL / Special Themes / The Geneva Conventions at 75 Jonathan Kwik, Ai Kihara-Hunt & Kelisiana Thynne

The Asia-Pacific region is diverse in religious, ethnic and historical backgrounds as well as in ...