Amman, May 8 (Petra)-- President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, and President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Kate Forbes, called on all those with influence and responsibility to uphold the protections upon which civilians, medical personnel, humanitarian workers, and local communities depend, stressing that respect for humanitarian emblems, rules, and principles is "indispensable." In a joint statement distributed by the International Committee of the Red Cross in Amman on Friday, marking World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day observed annually on May 8, the two officials warned that the world is witnessing, across various conflicts and crises, "a dangerous erosion of the values and safeguards established to protect human lives and preserve human dignity." The statement noted that a number of aid workers and volunteers have lost their lives while driving ambulances, working in hospitals, responding to emergencies, or delivering assistance to people in need within their local communities. It stressed that targeting medical and humanitarian personnel constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law and the rules designed to protect people in the most difficult circumstances.
The statement further emphasized that communities lose a "lifeline" when those providing healthcare, evacuating the wounded, and maintaining essential medical services come under attack, leading to diminished trust and weakened shared humanitarian values.
It added that volunteers and staff of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement continue to carry out their humanitarian duties in armed conflicts, disasters, and crises worldwide despite the dangers they face in the communities where they live and support their families.
The statement concluded by reaffirming the unity of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in its humanitarian mission despite growing global divisions, violence, and disregard for human suffering.
//Petra// MF
