Help for Sudan is “urgent” according to ICRC chairman Young motorcyclist in Schafisheim AG had fatal accident

The parties to the conflict in Sudan must fulfill their commitments to make humanitarian aid possible. This is what the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, calls for in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency.

“This help is urgent. It is important that humanitarian access is guaranteed,” emphasizes Spoljaric, who was in New York, where Switzerland had invited her to a high-level debate in the United Nations Security Council on the protection of the civilian population. A long-simmering power struggle in Sudan escalated violently on April 15.

Despite great difficulties, the organization continues its efforts in the country. “The ability to travel around the country is limited. We only had access to a few hospitals and little help could be distributed,” says Spoljaric. The usual visits to prisoners could not be carried out. The infrastructure of some institutions has been attacked or looted since mid-April.

Prisoner visits as the centerpiece

The suffering of the civilian population has always been at the center of conflict. “The wars have not gotten worse,” says Spoljaric. “But we see an acceleration of the crises with mutually reinforcing effects.” In the conflict in Ukraine, further progress has been made in visiting prisoners. “But that is still not satisfactory for us,” emphasizes Spoljaric, who demands access to all prisoners.

Since the beginning of the war, the ICRC has been able to contact POWs in nearly 5,300 cases. “This work is at the heart of our commitment to protecting civilians,” said Spoljaric, who took office eight months ago – as the first woman to head the organization. “It’s important for families to know where their loved ones are — even if they’re dead,” she adds.

The violations of international humanitarian law taking place around the world are regularly denounced by the ICRC. Nevertheless, Spoljaric believes this will continue to be recognized by all states. “The consensus behind the Geneva Conventions is probably the highest consensus in the world.” And these “remain as relevant” as they were when they were adopted more than 70 years ago.

internal difficulties

Meanwhile, the ICRC itself is struggling internally with major difficulties. The organization recently announced that it wants to cut about 1,500 jobs.

In any case, given the current tensions, “the world still needs an organization that remains neutral,” the president says, adding that the organization is in contact with about 390 armed groups around the world. The Red Cross must now ensure that it remains operationally ready in the light of the various conflicts. (oo/sda)