Panafrican News Agency

Protect civilian infrastructure during conflict: UN relief chief

New York, US (PANA) - Ensuring warring parties respect international humanitarian law is the first step towards protecting civilians and critical infrastructure during conflict, the UN’s top aid official told the Security Council on Tuesday. 

Humanitarian Affairs chief Mark Lowcock briefed ambassadors who met virtually to examine how attacks on sites such as hospitals and water systems affect people during wartime, including in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate emergency, a UN statement said.  

“The world does have a robust legal framework governing parties’ behaviour in war. We have a growing body of good practice to put it into motion.  What we need now is the political will from Member States and all parties to armed conflict to respect the rules and do the right thing,” he said. 

The statement said Mr. Lowcock feared developments such as the emergence of transnational terrorist groups, could unravel decades of hard-won progress in compliance on civilian protection. 

These groups “don’t even pretend to subscribe to the basic humanitarian norms”, he said, as they regard civilians, including aid workers, as legitimate targets. 

“At the same time, big military powers are reorienting their military planning, training and spending to deter and defeat enemy States,” he added.   

“And when States and armed groups disrespect or undermine international humanitarian law, other States and non-State actors regard it as an invitation to do the same.” 

The UN relief chief provided examples of how these trends have played out in critical areas such as food, water and medical care. He found the systematic attacks on medical facilities in Syria “particularly hard to stomach”. 

Between 2018 and 2020 alone, some 250 attacks occurred, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), while around 1,000 healthcare workers have been killed over the past decade. 

The “horrific” use of rape and sexual violence as a means to pursue political and military goals is another critical area for action.  Mr Lowcock recalled hearing the harrowing stories of Rohingya women refugees forced out of Myanmar who had been raped by men in uniform. 

“That is also what we have seen in the last six months in northern Ethiopia. The rapes there have not stopped. They are deliberately and systematically organised, targeted, ethnically based, and they are intended to terrorise, humiliate and brutalize,” he said. 

Enhancing compliance with international humanitarian law is just one way to strengthen the protection of civilians, and the infrastructure essential for their survival. Improving identification of sites, and including them in updated “no-strike” lists, is but one example of this. 

“At the same time, we need to continue to leverage political dialogue, sanctions and arms transfer decisions to ensure respect for the law and the protection of civilians and the objects they depend on to survive,” Mr Lowcock added. 

-0- PANA MA 28April2021