EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Crisis Management Commissioner Janes Lenarcic called for decisive action by the international community as a whole to defend International Humanitarian Law as part of the bedrock of the rules-based international order, in a joint statement to mark World Humanitarian Day. In their joint text, the two Commission members said that when disasters strike, crises erupt and conflicts arise, humanitarians are among the first ones on the spot delivering emergency assistance to those affected, adding that "this selfless calling to bring relief - but also hope - to the most vulnerable must be honoured and protected." They add that the acute danger facing humanitarian workers as they carry out their duties in war zones and environments where their own security is not ensured should not be overlooked, noting that 2023 was the deadliest year on record for aid workers, and 2024 is likely to follow the same harrowing trend. "This is why the EU has established the Protect Aid Worke rs initiative to help local aid workers who have fallen victim to attacks or other security incidents while on duty with legal aid and rapid financial grants. The first of its kind, the mechanism has distributed 25 grants to humanitarian workers in need of support, worth over pound 240,000, since February 2024," they stressed. They also note that while the Protect Aid Workers programme fills an important gap in the humanitarian space, a lot remains to be done. "We have seen a devastating trend by a number of States in recent years towards blatant disrespect for the basic norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the conflicts they are engaged in. This calls for decisive action by the international community as a whole in defence of IHL as part of the bedrock of the rules-based international order," they pointed out. "World Humanitarian Day is a reminder to each and every one of us that protecting aid workers is not only the right thing to do, but a legal obligation under IHL. And a reminder that the alternative to upholding IHL is impunity and a worsening spiral of abuse for which civilians and aid workers will pay the highest price," the Commission members concluded. Source: Cyprus News Agency
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