Civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts. As hostilities are increasingly waged in urban areas, civilians have been caught up in fighting in Gaza, Yemen, Ukraine, and Sudan. Military operations have caused civilian death and injury, lack of much needed services, and the destruction of homes and basic infrastructure.
To alleviate suffering, there have been calls in these conflicts to establish arrangements, including notifications, evacuations, humanitarian corridors, and suspensions of hostilities, devised to spare civilians from the effects of hostilities and to facilitate humanitarian relief operations. However, to ensure their effectiveness, there first needs to be a common understanding around what they are, what they entail operationally, and the interplay between arrangements and the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL).
With experience in the implementation of humanitarian arrangements, panellists will discuss how arrangements can contribute to the protection of civilians caught in hostilities and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Key questions to be addressed include:
- How can we enhance international cooperation and coordination to address humanitarian crises more effectively?
- What types of humanitarian arrangements exist?
- What does the law say about them?
- What challenges and opportunities arise when coordinating various arrangements in complex emergencies, and how can these challenges be addressed?
- What is the role of different actors?
A drinks reception will be held after the event between 18:30 and 19:30.
