ICRC to continue helping war-affected Afghans

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains strongly committed to helping people affected by the conflict and any other form of armed violence. “The deadly attack that took place on the ICRC’s office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in May reflects a deteriorating situation,” said Jacques de Maio, the ICRC’s head of operations for South Asia. “We now have an environment in which armed men could breach one of the most ancient rules of war, according to which those helping non-combatants must be spared and protected, and by doing so deliberately deprive millions of Afghans of much-needed help. The ICRC has a unique role to play for millions of Afghans, and we cannot abandon them,” he added. The ICRC has decided to retain the capability to respond to the most pressing needs of the victims of armed conflict. It will continue to provide physical rehabilitation services for tens of thousands of amputees and other disabled people, as it has done for over 30 years, to support hospitals and to provide care for war casualties. In addition, it will carry on with its monitoring of the conflict’s impact on civilians and intervene accordingly with warring parties.