Human rights groups reacted with concern to Russia’s military assault on Ukraine and called for the protection of civilians and respect for international law as Israel’s extensive bombing campaign invading army wreaks havoc in several towns and forces refugees to flee for their lives.
“Our worst fears have come true,” Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement on Thursday. “After weeks of escalation, a Russian invasion with the potential for the most horrific consequences for human lives and human rights has begun.”
“As rockets fall on Ukrainian military bases and initial reports of Russian military use of indiscriminate weapons, Amnesty International reiterates its call on all parties to strictly respect international law humanitarian law and international human rights law. said Callamard. “The lives, homes and infrastructure of civilians must be protected; indiscriminate attacks and the use of prohibited weapons such as cluster munitions must not take place.”
Additionally, Amnesty and other groups have demanded that humanitarian agencies be given immediate and unimpeded access to provide aid to those harmed by Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
As Russia’s multi-pronged assault intensifies and people desperately seek safety, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said in a statement on Thursday that “the humanitarian catastrophe resulting from a full-scale war in Ukraine will cause grave human suffering. The world will witness innocent deaths, destruction of civilian infrastructure and mass displacement within the country and across Europe.”
As Amnesty noted, “deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian property, and indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitute war crimes.” The organization, Callamard said, “will follow the situation closely to denounce violations of international law by all parties.”
Already, Ukrainian officials report up to ten civilian deaths.
Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, sentenced the “senseless war” [that] was unleashed in Ukraine.”
“The vulnerable civilian population along the front lines will experience decisions made in safe offices, away from harm,” said Egeland, who drew attention to the likelihood that thousands of families across Ukraine “will be separated indefinitely”.
Lani Fortier, IRC’s Senior Director of Emergencies, said “we really hope we can avert catastrophe and avert the human suffering that we will inevitably see if this conflict continues to escalate.”
“However, the IRC is ready and preparing for the worst,” Fortier continued. “We are working to rapidly mobilize resources and connect with partners to establish a response that will provide vital support to civilians forced to flee their homes.”
“The IRC is meeting with partners and local civil society organizations in Poland and Ukraine to assess the capacity to respond to an increase in the number of refugees and people in need,” Fortier added. “We will work to respond where we are most needed and with the services that are urgently needed. Whatever the need, we are preparing to meet it.”
The IRC warned that in addition to devastating Ukraine, the invasion ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin would have “far-reaching humanitarian implications across Europe and the world, destabilizing the continent, straining the resources of Ukraine’s neighbors and affecting the food supply of countries like Yemen”. , Libya and Lebanon – already facing acute levels of food insecurity. »
“As the situation teeters on the brink of full-scale war,” the IRC said, “the international community must remain united and exert diplomatic pressure to focus on a political settlement.”
Meanwhile, as officials in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union and elsewhere prepare to hit Russia with sanctions, Quaker peace activists from the Committee of Friends on National Legislation stress that “we must not punish civilians for this conflict”, and urged “legislators and leaders of the international community to ensure that any limited and targeted sanctions imposed as a result of the escalating crisis do not weigh unduly on the Ukrainian people”.
The IRC argued that the world must “prepare for the worst by investing in humanitarian aid services inside and outside Ukraine to save lives and alleviate human suffering”.
“European countries,” the organization added, “must welcome their neighbors fleeing Ukraine by keeping borders open and ensuring full access to asylum and adequate reception.”
