ICRC - International Committee of the Red Cross

Published purpose

24 March, 2011 - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization that draws its mandate from the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols of 1977. The ICRC’s primary mission is to help to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence. The ICRC seeks to provide these victims with assistance, and prevent further suffering by promoting and strengthening international humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles. After years of armed conflict, Iraq faces serious humanitarian and protection issues given the country’s volatility and the fragility of the political processes. Households headed by women and internally displaced persons (IDPs) facing difficulties returning home are especially vulnerable. With CIDA support, the ICRC operation in Iraq in 2011 focuses on assisting people affected by the on-going armed conflict and visiting detainees held by the Iraqi government, Kurdistan regional authorities and US forces. With the support of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, it aims to assist IDPs and residents in restoring their livelihoods, with a focus on households headed by women; to support physical rehabilitation centres; and to train medical personnel. It is expected that the ICRC repairs and upgrades water, sanitation, health, and detention infrastructures. It continues to promote international humanitarian law among parties to the conflict.