Red Cross reacts to Caliber.Az’s article
Right to reply

POLITICS  16 April 2022 - 17:36

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) responded to an article published by Caliber.Az where its author criticized the ICRC’s activity.

According to the article, ICRC supports the Armenian separatists, ignores Azerbaijan’s appeals, and does not notice the appeals of the Azerbaijani side to render assistance in finding missing people during both the first and second Karabakh wars.

"Thus, the ICRC is turning into a windbag,” the article said. “The ICRC, which for many years was a symbol of neutrality and mercy, which disappointed Azerbaijan in autumn 2020, now seems to be engaged more in narcissism, which is a characteristic feature of its leader, rather than in rendering real assistance to countries and people really affected as a result of wars.”

“ICRC would like to clarify some aspects amid this information about the role and activity of the organization,” Head of the PR Department of the ICRC Representative Office in Azerbaijan Ilaha Huseynova told Caliber.Az. These aspects are as follows:

"1 - Our role and humanitarian mandate

The ICRC is a humanitarian organization that works to help people who suffered as a result of the conflict. For the first time, ICRC began working in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s, after the beginning of the Karabakh conflict and was assisting people.

The ICRC's work is based on the 1949 Geneva Conventions, their Additional Protocols, the Charter and resolutions of the International Conferences of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. The Geneva Conventions are part of a comprehensive list of norms of international humanitarian law that defines the obligations of the sides of an armed conflict. International humanitarian law protects those who are not involved in the conflict, namely, the sick, wounded and captives, medical personnel, and civilians.

The sides of the conflict are responsible for taking all necessary measures to assist the wounded, sick, and captives, protect civilians, prevent the disappearance of people and find out the whereabouts of the missing people.

The ICRC can only support the sides in fulfilling their obligations.

Moreover, the ICRC is an independent, neutral organization that ensures humanitarian protection and renders assistance to victims of armed conflicts and other situations related to violence. Thousands of our employees take measures during emergency situations and at the same time contribute to compliance with international humanitarian law and its implementation in national legislation worldwide.

We do not participate in political negotiations, as we are a humanitarian and neutral organization. We work closely with national societies and, of course, with their volunteers to carry out our activity, but the ICRC does not have volunteers.

2 - Our humanitarian assistance in connection with the Karabakh conflict in 2020

The ICRC intensified its activity to meet the needs of the victims during the hostilities in 2020. Emergency assistance was rendered to families temporarily displaced from the conflict-affected areas. The Azerbaijani healthcare facilities have been provided with 15 sets consisting of necessary equipment and medicines for treating 750 wounded people.

The ICRC intensively worked even after the end of the hostilities. The financial assistance was rendered in the conflict-affected areas, in total, 26,635 houses were provided with funds. The ICRC participated in the Cash Payment project and other support projects. Psychological support was rendered to thousands of adults and children living in conflict-affected areas. Local specialists have been trained to continue rendering the necessary support.

The power supply system was repaired through the ICRC. About 2,000 people are provided with electricity. For this purpose, more than 47 kilometers of aluminum cables were transferred to the power supply departments of the Tartar and Aghdam districts.

Almost 6,000 people can use wells for irrigation and drinking water, which have been repaired through the ICRC. Some 32 submersible pumps, 18 control panels, 1,900 meters of cables, 220 relays, and 130 contact switches were transferred to the corresponding state structures of the Tartar, Aghdam, Fuzuli and Goranboy districts.

The assistance was rendered to more than 4,600 children and teachers at 19 schools and 6 kindergartens located in the conflict-affected territories. The buildings and sanitary facilities were repaired and provided with furniture, disinfectants, and other equipment. More than 5,700 schoolchildren and children in kindergartens received school and sports kits, toys and books.

About 6,000 people living in conflict-affected territories took part in sessions where they were told about the danger of mines and unexploded ordnance, which pose a big threat to life and health. The ICRC supported those who, unfortunately, was injured as a result of the mine explosion. Some 22 families whose members were injured as a result of the mine explosion received financial assistance.

3 - Another important issue that the ICRC has been dealing with for many years is the issue of missing people. More than 420 operations were carried out in the presence of the ICRC as a neutral mediator to search for and recover human remains in the conflict-affected territories.

Hundreds of biological reference samples were collected from families of missing people in the 1990s to facilitate further identification of human remains. Psychosocial assistance was rendered to 347 family members of the missing people while financial assistance was rendered to 258 families of the missing people.

4 – Activity in connection with the armed conflict in the region since 1992

The ICRC representatives have been visiting people detained in connection with the armed conflict in the region since 1992 in accordance with its mandate. The ICRC evaluates the conditions of their detention and helps detainees get in touch with their families. Moreover, the ICRC discusses its conclusions confidentially and bilaterally with the detaining side. The ICRC has no right or opportunity to release captured people/detainees.

The ICRC has no influence on whom and when to release. This is the exclusive prerogative of the detaining side. This is not exhaustive information about our activity which is carried out by our offices in Baku and Barda district. Throughout all the years of the ICRC's activity, we have always acted on the basis of the assessment results of the needs of people affected as a result of the conflict, and have done and will continue doing everything possible to ease the suffering of people affected as a result of the conflict.”

Ilaha Huseynova also stressed that more detailed information about the ICRC and its activity can be obtained at www.icrc.org.

Caliber.Az