International Committee of the Red Cross

👋 If this is the first time you come across us, we’re the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Wherever we are, and whichever channel we’re on, we work to uphold International Humanitarian Law and to protect and assist people affected by conflict and violence. Follow us!

When is it ok to attack health-care workers? ❌ Never. When is it ok for fighters to target civilians? ❌ Never. When is it ok to torture someone? ❌ Never. The rules of war are simple. The rules of war preserve our humanity.

Over 130 armed conflicts are happening in the world and millions of civilians are suffering the humanitarian consequences of them. Respecting the rules of war is not an option: is an obligation of all parties to armed conflicts.

Protracted conflicts, violations of international humanitarian law and funding cuts, among others, are pushing communities to their limits. Our new report explores these challenges and why humanitarian action must help communities achieve self-reliance. Read it here: ms.spr.ly/63324aIKpA

Staying neutral allows us to do our job. It is not indifference: it is a deliberate choice. Our mission comes from the Geneva Conventions, universal laws that preserve a degree of humanity, even in war. Today, 163 years since our founding, neutrality remains as crucial as ever.

Every attack on healthcare personnel, facilities and vehicles, is an attack on the communities they serve. ❌ They should never have to fear for their own lives. ❌ They are not a target.

In recent weeks, aerial attacks across Sudan have caused a worrying increase in civilian harm. We urge all sides to take into account the foreseeable humanitarian consequences of using armed drones, particularly in populated areas. Read more: ms.spr.ly/63326aa08k

Today, we participated in the repatriation of the remains of fallen soldiers between Russia and Ukraine, as agreed by the parties. Each return helps families honour their loved ones and lay them to rest with dignity.

📍Somalia | In 2023, El Niño floods affected nearly two million people and displaced more than 500,000. With a potentially record-breaking El Niño feared, we’re working with the Somali Red Crescent Society to help communities prepare early and protect their homes and livelihoods.

📍Yemen | Our teams delivered 10 tonnes of vital medical supplies to Ataq General Hospital, including two weapon-wounded kits to strengthen the hospital’s capacity to provide emergency trauma and surgical care to those in urgent need, following the recent mass-casualty incident in Shabwah.

Ethiopia | Renewed hostilities have endangered thousands in the northern regions and worsened their existing hardship. Together with the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, we continue to support the affected communities in Tigray, Amhara, Lalibela and Mekelle, among others. ms.spr.ly/63326aaMNA

Drones may change how wars are fought, but they don’t change the rules of war. Read more about the use of drones in armed conflict: ms.spr.ly/63328aaEE2

📍 Haiti | Erline faces threats and violence while responding to emergencies by ambulance. The fear and stress don’t end when the call is over. Through our “Helping the Helpers” programme, we provide psychosocial support to first responders like Erline.

📍Ethiopia | We express our deepest sorrow over the news of the death of Mulugeta Andualem, an ambulance driver of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS), who was killed during an armed attack while carrying out his humanitarian duties.

A surge in weapon-wounded patients is putting immense pressure on frontline health facilities. Our teams visited Ras al Arah hospital in Lahj to assess urgent needs and provide emergency medical supplies. ICRC medical staff member Idris Azabou explains more about the situation following the visit.

📍Sudan | We are heartbroken by the death of Badr al-Din Omar Musa, a volunteer from the Sudanese Red Crescent Society who was killed while carrying out his humanitarian duties. The continued loss of humanitarian personnel is unacceptable. Weapon bearers must do all they can to ensure their safety.

In armed conflict, hunger rarely begins with an empty plate. On World Food Day, we call on all parties to conflict to respect international humanitarian law, which prohibits starving civilians as a method of warfare and protects the objects indispensable to their survival. #WorldFoodDay

The new issue of the International Review of the Red Cross, Upholding Humanity in War, examines the urgent questions: protecting hospitals, regulating cyber operations, naval warfare, and stronger domestic implementation of IHL. Learn more: ms.spr.ly/63321atd5R

Humanitarian personnel should be able to do their jobs without fearing for their lives. Attacks against humanitarians must never be normalized. Those with the power to act must protect humanitarian personnel and ensure safe access to people in need.

In north-east Nigeria, reported malnutrition cases in ICRC-supported health facilities rose from around 17,000 between January and September 2025 to nearly 20,000 over the same period this year. 🎥New media footage is now available: www.icrcnewsroom.org/story/en/123...

One day to go! Join us on 15 October to reflect on how Henry Dunant’s humanitarian ideals can inspire our response to today’s humanitarian challenges. Register here: ms.spr.ly/63328aseCe

As fighting intensifies across parts of Yemen, hospitals are struggling to cope with growing numbers of war-wounded patients. We have been supporting health facilities on all sides of the front lines, responding to the most urgent needs. Read more: ms.spr.ly/63323asjOc

With more technologies being used in armed conflict today, autonomous weapon systems and AI-enabled weapons are sometimes treated as the same. Even if they are different technologies, parties to conflicts that use them still need to comply with the rules of war. ms.spr.ly/63325asPeR

Parties to conflicts cannot use starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. This includes depriving them of food, water, or other essentials needed to survive, even if it does not lead to death but causes suffering. Download our briefing paper for free: ms.spr.ly/63328aSLWQ

Millions across Somalia face a potential climate disaster as a record El Niño looms. Families risk losing their homes, while farmers could lose their crops to floods or leave their fields unplanted, putting them at risk of hunger next year. For new footage: ms.spr.ly/63328aSvE8

"Civilians are paying an unacceptable price as a result of military operations in the Middle East. Any intensification of hostilities will be disastrous for tens of millions of people. All efforts to de-escalate are urgent and necessary": ICRC president. Read more: ms.spr.ly/63324aSUzy

📍Haiti | Ambulance drivers like Phanes risk their lives to reach people in need, facing armed threats, stray bullets and violence along the way. But the fear doesn’t end when the mission is over. It stays with them long after they’ve helped those who need it most.

Faster decisions in war do not always mean safer outcomes for civilians. As AI is increasingly used in military operations, it can raise serious risks when life-or-death decisions depend on systems that may be unpredictable, biased, or difficult to control. Learn more: ms.spr.ly/63326aUQYu

"We live in a decade of war". In a wide-ranging interview with @nytimes.com, Mirjana Spoljaric, ICRC President, discusses today’s conflicts, the importance of IHL, and the urgent need to preserve space for diplomacy and peace. Read the interview here: ms.spr.ly/63324aqR8K

More than 1 in 5 people in armed conflict-affected areas live with mental health conditions. The psychological impact of war can endure long after the fighting stops. Psychosocial support should not be a luxury: It is an essential part of recovery. #WorldMentalHealthDay

With armed conflicts at their highest level since World War II, ICRC president today focused on the role of IHL for global peace and stability during an Audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV & a separate meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. 👉🏼 www.icrc.org/en/news-rele...

When humanitarian workers and volunteers are not protected, the people we serve are the ones who suffer the most. Violence against humanitarians must stop.

The recent escalation of hostilities in Yemen has left countless families in anguish. Since July 2026, we have received over 1,800 tracing requests from families looking for missing loved ones. Families have the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their loved ones.

Respecting the rules of war is not a choice, it is a legal and moral obligation for all parties to armed conflicts. When these rules are ignored, civilians and all those who are not taking part in hostilities are the ones who endure the most horrendous consequences.

📍Myanmar | After stepping on a landmine and losing both legs, Daw Khin San struggled to adjust to her new reality. At the ICRC-supported Myitkyina rehabilitation centre, she is now receiving mental health support and learning to walk again with her new prosthetic limbs.

Killing or injuring healthcare workers, bombing hospitals, and targeting ambulances aren't just "war consequences." They are a collapse of humanity. Under international humanitarian law, patients & healthcare workers are protected along with the hospitals they work in & the ambulances they rely on.

In armed conflicts, no matter when, no matter who says the opposite: civilians must be protected and respected. Without excuses. Under international humanitarian law, every party to a conflict must follow this essential rule. Even wars have limits. #IHL

Protecting humanitarian personnel is not a favour to our organizations. It is an obligation and, more importantly, a lifeline for people affected by armed conflicts, violence and crises.

Sometimes, humanitarian access is limited by geography. But when barriers are man-made, it is people affected by armed conflict who pay the price, leaving humanitarian personnel unable to reach those who need help most. Learn more 👉🏽 ms.spr.ly/63322aW3TE

We mourn the tragic loss of Ismael Mulindwa, an ambulance driver with the Uganda Red Cross Society, who was injured during a violent incident while supporting the Ebola response in the DRC. On 1st October, he succumbed to his injuries. Our condolences go out to his family, friends & colleagues.

Lebanon | With more than a hundred incidents recorded across the country between April and October 2026, mines and unexploded ordnance are putting civilian lives at risk. New footage available for media in our newsroom: ms.spr.ly/63320ali34

In armed conflict, hunger should never become a weapon. Protecting the resources people depend on and ensuring humanitarian relief can reach those in need are essential to preventing food insecurity from deepening into a humanitarian crisis.

Civilians remain protected at all times: it doesn’t matter if they stay or if they leave. International humanitarian law prohibits ordering civilians to leave their homes, with narrow exceptions for their safety or military necessity. Learn more: ms.spr.ly/63327aYyxF

📍Somalia | Fighting in urban areas is taking a heavy toll on civilians in Baidoa. Antoine Grand, head of delegation in Somalia, shares 👇🏽

🎒 Students are civilians. ✏️ Teachers are too. 🏫 Schools are civilian buildings. All of them are protected by the rules of war.

How would the world cope if a nuclear bomb was dropped? We wouldn’t. There are no plans, no capacity and no means to respond to the horrific consequences of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons should never be used again.

Attacks on: Museums Religious sites Historic monuments Libraries Are attacks on: Our identity. Our history. Our humanity. Cultural property and places of worship are protected under international humanitarian law. Even during war.

Surging violence, increasing restrictions on movement and an acceleration of settlement expansion are causing serious harm to civilians across the West Bank. International humanitarian law must be upheld. Read more: ms.spr.ly/63323acdqv

📍Ethiopia | Today, we transferred 161 persons out of Tigray, acting as a neutral and independent intermediary, based on the request and approval of all authorities concerned. Read more 👇🏽

Civilians must be protected and respected, always. Parties to conflicts are the only ones with enough power to enforce the rules of war, transform them into reality, and save lives.

For people living through armed conflict, violence, loss, displacement and uncertainty can affect mental health long after the immediate danger has passed. Explore the latest International Review of the Red Cross on mental health and armed conflict: ms.spr.ly/63325aibIJ