An Afghan man inspects the scene of a suicide bomb attack in Khost province October 1, 2012. (Reuters/ Anwarullah)
Oct 08, 2012
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan has brought a humanitarian crisis for civilians and diminished hopes for the future, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Monday.
Reto Stocker, the outgoing outgoing head of the ICRC's delegation in Afghanistan, made the statements in Kabul a day after the war began its 12th year, describing a worsening situation for civilians, and said he is "filled with concern" upon his departure.
"Since I arrived here in 2005, local armed groups have proliferated, civilians have been caught between not just one but multiple front lines, and it has become increasingly difficult for ordinary Afghans to obtain health care," said Stocker.
Stocker said civilians' access to health care has been repeatedly limited by the war.
"There have to be some things that are off limits, and interfering with health care is one of them. Attacks on health-care staff, vehicles and facilities cannot be considered part of the ordinary conduct of war. Health care must remain available to everyone who needs it. It must be provided impartially, on the basis of medical considerations only."
Stocker describes a grim future for Afghan civilians, as they face a plethora of disaster. "People are not just suffering the effects of the armed conflict. Hardship arising from the economic situation, or from severe weather or natural disaster, has become more widespread, and hope for the future has been steadily declining."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan has brought a humanitarian crisis for civilians and diminished hopes for the future, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Monday.
Reto Stocker, the outgoing outgoing head of the ICRC's delegation in Afghanistan, made the statements in Kabul a day after the war began its 12th year, describing a worsening situation for civilians, and said he is "filled with concern" upon his departure.
"Since I arrived here in 2005, local armed groups have proliferated, civilians have been caught between not just one but multiple front lines, and it has become increasingly difficult for ordinary Afghans to obtain health care," said Stocker.
Stocker said civilians' access to health care has been repeatedly limited by the war.
"There have to be some things that are off limits, and interfering with health care is one of them. Attacks on health-care staff, vehicles and facilities cannot be considered part of the ordinary conduct of war. Health care must remain available to everyone who needs it. It must be provided impartially, on the basis of medical considerations only."
Stocker describes a grim future for Afghan civilians, as they face a plethora of disaster. "People are not just suffering the effects of the armed conflict. Hardship arising from the economic situation, or from severe weather or natural disaster, has become more widespread, and hope for the future has been steadily declining."
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan has brought a humanitarian crisis for civilians and diminished hopes for the future, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) stated on Monday.
Reto Stocker, the outgoing outgoing head of the ICRC's delegation in Afghanistan, made the statements in Kabul a day after the war began its 12th year, describing a worsening situation for civilians, and said he is "filled with concern" upon his departure.
"Since I arrived here in 2005, local armed groups have proliferated, civilians have been caught between not just one but multiple front lines, and it has become increasingly difficult for ordinary Afghans to obtain health care," said Stocker.
Stocker said civilians' access to health care has been repeatedly limited by the war.
"There have to be some things that are off limits, and interfering with health care is one of them. Attacks on health-care staff, vehicles and facilities cannot be considered part of the ordinary conduct of war. Health care must remain available to everyone who needs it. It must be provided impartially, on the basis of medical considerations only."
Stocker describes a grim future for Afghan civilians, as they face a plethora of disaster. "People are not just suffering the effects of the armed conflict. Hardship arising from the economic situation, or from severe weather or natural disaster, has become more widespread, and hope for the future has been steadily declining."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.