ICRC Media Brief – September 2011
Advance notice of ICRC activities and events, and information on new footage, films and photos.
AFRICA
Somalia: The ICRC continues to respond to the appalling humanitarian situation in Somalia. In the southern part of the country,
the numbers of malnourished children and mothers have been rising rapidly. The Somali Red Crescent Society, with ICRC
support, has just launched four new outpatient therapeutic feeding programmes in clinics in the conflict- and
drought-affected regions of Gedo and Bakool. For more information, have a look at http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2011/somalia-news-2011-08-24.htm. The ICRC website on Somalia continues to be regularly updated.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Libya: The armed conflict continues to take a heavy toll on civilians. The ICRC is addressing the most pressing humanitarian
needs, stepping up its assistance for the wounded in Tripoli, redoubling efforts to obtain access to hundreds of
detainees and taking steps to ease water shortages. Check the latest update on the Libya web page (http://www.icrc.org/eng/where-we-work/africa/libya/index.jsp) to read more about the humanitarian situation and the ICRC's response. Video footage is available on http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-footage/libya-tvnews-2011-09-02.htm: "Armed conflict hinders urgent health care".
Syria: People in Syria are still suffering the effects of the ongoing violence. The ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent are
focusing their efforts on providing food and health care for those who need them most. More information about the
activities of the ICRC and the visit of the organization's president to the country from 3 to 6 September are available
on our website.
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Afghanistan: In an interview that will soon be available on our website, a member of the ICRC staff in Kabul reviews the challenges
and developments in the organization's detainee-welfare activities in Afghanistan over the past 10 years, and challenges
for the future.
A feature story focuses on the ICRC's efforts to rehabilitate mentally ill detainees. It describes the simple but
effective methods developed by ICRC doctor Eva Gerber-Glur. The aim is as much to give the men back their dignity and
self-respect as to improve their health.
India: In violence-stricken eastern Maharashtra, the ICRC and the Indian Red Cross Society are striving to help improve
people’s livelihoods and health care, particularly in Gadchiroli district, where Naxalite Maoist rebels are active and
there is a heavy presence of government security forces. A feature will be available shortly our website.
LATIN AMERICA
Brazil: Urban violence can be just as horrific as armed conflict for those affected, although its effects may not be as
visible. In some neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro, gun battles pitting rival armed factions or gangs against police put
residents at risk. People struggle to obtain health care and suffer from stigmatization and psychological stress. By
providing training in first aid and also by other means, the ICRC has been endeavouring to ease the suffering and make
local communities more resilient to the effects of violence. ICRC head of project Stephan Sakalian explains the ICRC's
activities in Rio in a web interview that has just been published in Portuguese and in Spanish (http://www.icrc.org/spa/resources/documents/interview/2011/brazil-interview-2011-09-01.htm). French and English versions will follow soon.
OTHER ISSUES
New weapon technologies: The International Institute of Humanitarian Law (http://www.iihl.org/Default.aspx?pageid=page1) and the ICRC are jointly organizing a round table on the topic of “International humanitarian law and new weapon
technologies” from 8 to 10 September in San Remo (Italy). The discussions will focus on the impact, from a legal
perspective, of the new weapon technologies that characterize modern warfare: drones, robots and military technologies
designed for use in outer space, but also cyber technology and other developments that raise important legal questions
and humanitarian concerns. A news release will be issued on 7 September. The keynote speech by the ICRC's president will
be posted on our website on 9 September. For more information about cyber warfare and international humanitarian law,
read our interview with Cordula Droege, an ICRC legal expert, on http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/interview/2011/cyber-warfare-interview-2011-08-16.htm
Women and war: A book of photographs by World Press Award winner Nick Danziger, entitled Onze femmes face à la guerre
(Eleven women facing war) is going on sale in France, Quebec, Belgium and Switzerland. The book offers a glimpse into
the lives of women affected by armed conflict in Sierra Leone, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Israel, the West
Bank, the Gaza Strip and Colombia. A news release will be issued on 7 September. For French-speaking readers, more
information is available on http://cicrblog.lemonde.fr/category/visa-dor-humanitaire-du-cicr/
Children and detention: In an interview to be posted on our website later this month, an ICRC staff member talks about
the risks to the well-being and security of children whose parents are detained, and the protection those children are
entitled to. She gives examples of activities the ICRC is carrying out to help them.
Discover more about the ICRC:
•ICRC Video Newsroom: www.icrcvideonewsroom.org
•ICRC photo collection: http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/photos/index.jsp
•Website: http://www.icrc.org
•Twitter: http://twitter.com/icrc_english/icrc
•Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/icrcfans
ENDS