The president of the German Red Cross, Hermann Gröhe, has condemned the rising number of humanitarian workers killed in conflicts worldwide and called for stronger enforcement of international humanitarian law.
He noted that last year more than 300 aid workers died while serving others, including many staff members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a fact he highlighted in the Sunday editions of the Funke Media Group newspapers. “This is an unbearable situation” he said.
Gröhe stressed that the toll is not simply a collection of isolated incidents but reflects a broader disregard for fundamental humanitarian rules. He described the helpers-who work under harsh conditions and great risk to alleviate others’ suffering-as symbols of solidarity and human compassion.
“It is of great importance that the rules of armed conflict-that is, humanitarian international law-finally receive more weight and that the law be fully enforced” Gröhe declared.