|
|
|
|
|
Conflict in the Middle East reached an unprecedented level in 2015. Syria, Yemen and Iraq were the main stages for intense violence. This lead to widespread violations of humanitarian norms, such as forced displacement, sexual violence, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilians, deliberate attacks on school and healthcare facilities and workers, and the use of child soldiers.
Geneva Call scaled-up its efforts to reduce the suffering of civilian populations: although assistance to civilians is much needed in many areas, prevention work is essential to avoid violations in the first place. In this month’s Flash news, dedicated to the Middle East, we explain more about Geneva Call’s work on the protection of civilians in that region through its engagement and dialogue with some of its main armed non-State actors.
|
|
|
Syria: top military commanders from eight Free Syrian Army brigades receive training on humanitarian norms in Geneva
From 16 to 19 December 2015, Geneva Call trained commanders from eight Free Syrian Army (FSA) brigades on humanitarian norms in Geneva. These brigades number an estimated 15,000 combatants and are active in northern Syria, including in Aleppo, Hama, Idlib and Latakia.
Over three days, they participated in sessions on rules related to the conduct of hostilities, led by Geneva Call’s legal experts. These included the use of weapons, the protection of children, schools and hospitals, the prohibition of anti-personnel mines and a session dedicated to the protection of cultural heritage.
>> Read more
|
|
Iraq: launch of the “Fighter not Killer” campaign to raise awareness of the law of war among civil society and armed non-State actors
“Be a fighter, not a killer.” That is the main message of the multi-media campaign launched by Geneva Call in Iraq. Over the next few weeks, Geneva Call’s video and radio messages on the law of war will be broadcast intensively on some Iraqi television and radio channels, including Sunni, Shia and Kurdish media.
This will be supplemented by an online campaign on social networks via a new website, www.fighternotkiller.org. From this site, fighters from all parties to the conflict, as well as civilians, will be able to view and download Geneva Call’s thirty-second videos, mobile telephone application quiz and its illustrated booklets on humanitarian norms, the ban on antipersonnel mines and child protection or gender issues.
This programme has been developed with the support of the European Union and in partnership with the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action.
>> Read more
|
|
Story from the field: a visit to monitor the prohibition on the use of child soldiers in Kurdish areas of Syria
November 2015. For the sixth time since the Syrian Kurdish armed forces signed the Deed of Commitment protecting children in armed conflict, in 2014, a team from Geneva Call went to Syria to monitor the situation related to the use of child soldiers by those forces.
Our journey to Syria begins in Erbil, the main city in Iraqi Kurdistan. After a few hours of driving, we reach Dohuk, our last stop before Syria and the third most populated city in Iraqi Kurdistan. [...]
>> Read the whole story
|
|
Iraq: meeting with the main Shia armed non-State actor and visits to government officials in Baghdad
Geneva Call started its activities in Baghdad with a round of meetings with political, civil society and religious leaders. Mehmet Balci, Programme Director for the Middle East, met with the Prime Minister’s cabinet Director, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, all of whom expressed their support for Geneva Call’s work in Iraq.
He also met with the leaders of the Shia Popular Mobilization Units—currently fighting alongside the Iraqi security forces against ISIS—and started to plan future training sessions with them on humanitarian norms. Geneva Call also met with 20 Shia tribal leaders and then with Sunni political leaders with the goal of raising awareness of the necessity to disseminate humanitarian norms.
This programme has been developed with the support of the European Union and in partnership with the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action.
>> Read more
|
|
Lebanon: launch of a study on “Children at Risk in the Palestinian Refugee Camps”
On 7 December 2015, Geneva Call and the Nashit association launched a study called “Children at Risk in the Palestinian Refugee Camps” in Beirut. The study was presented at a conference co-organized by Geneva Call, the Swiss Embassy and the Embassy of Palestine. More than 60 people from embassies, NGOs or United Nations organizations attended the conference.
The study— conducted among 310 children living in the camps—clearly showed that not only are children used to the armed violence in their camps but also that some of them use violence or armed violence themselves and do not see this as a “problem”. |
 |
>> Read more
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
