In the Middle East today there are armed groups that have no respect for the humanitarian imperative. What challenges does this present to the Red Cross?
I see two key challenges. The first one is very basic. We want to maintain a very close relationship with people affected by conflict, and access these days is more complex because we are in a very polarized environment. Look at the Iraq front – the problem is not new but it is exacerbated. The second issue is to be able to engage governments and non-state armed groups on a very pragmatic basis on issues related to people under their control. That normally works rather well. What I have found more complex these days is to engage them on issues related to international humanitarian law and the Geneva conventions.
Do you have any contact with Islamic State?
Interview: Yves Daccord
The director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross tells Alan Philps of the challenges in dealing with Islamic State and predicts that aid workers may soon be given a TripAdvisor style rating
