ICRC Urges De-escalation as Middle East Violence Threatens Civilians

ICRC Warns of Escalation Risks

In Saudi Arabia, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric on Tuesday called for urgent efforts to “de-escalate” tensions in the Middle East, warning that an intensification of hostilities would be “catastrophic” for tens of millions of people.

The region’s ongoing rivalries have repeatedly disrupted global energy supplies and deepened humanitarian concerns.

Impact on Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Yemen’s civil war resumed in July, with a Saudi-led military coalition backing the government against the Houthis, after months of a wider regional conflict that had disturbed energy markets.

“Civilians are paying an unacceptable price as a result of military operations in the Middle East,” Spoljaric said in a statement.

The Houthis swiftly turned their attention to Saudi oil facilities, oil tankers and transport hubs, launching a series of deadly strikes on Riyadh airport that rattled the world’s top oil exporter.

“The deaths, injuries and destruction in Saudi Arabia in recent days are another example of the devastating price civilians pay as a result of hostilities,” Spoljaric said.

“In Yemen, the number of deaths and displaced people, as well as the scale of damage to civilian infrastructure, including in Aden and Sanaa, are increasing at an alarming rate. Across the Middle East, civilian infrastructure has been repeatedly struck and lives have been lost,” she added.

Call for Civilian Protection

Spoljaric stressed that parties to conflicts must protect civilians and civilian facilities from attacks and distinguish at all times between civilian and military targets.

She warned that strikes on ports, airports and vital infrastructure could have serious repercussions for the communities that rely on them.

“Any further escalation of hostilities would be catastrophic for tens of millions of people. Urgent efforts must therefore be made to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians from further harm,” Spoljaric said.

The prolonged civil war in Yemen has produced a major humanitarian crisis in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest nation.

Based in Geneva, the ICRC acts as the custodian of international humanitarian law, a set of rules intended to curb the impact of armed conflict.

It shields those who are not taking part, or have ceased to take part, in fighting and imposes limits on the weapons and tactics that may be used.

According to AFP.