Editing Attacks on humanitarian workers (section)

==Legal basis for the protection of humanitarian workers==

The legal basis for the protection of humanitarian workers in [[armed conflicts]] is contained in the [[Geneva Conventions]] of 1949 and the related [[Protocol I|Protocols I]] and [[Protocol II|II]] of 1977. These treaties outline the rights and obligations of [[non-combatants]] who fulfill the criteria of [[protected persons]] during armed conflicts. These rights include the right to be treated humanely; to have access to food, water, shelter, medical treatment, and communications; to be free from violence to life and person, [[hostage|hostage taking]], and humiliating or degrading treatment; and the prohibition against [[collective punishment]] or [[imprisonment]]. Protected persons include citizens and nationals of countries that are not a party to the conflict, except if such persons happen to be in the territory of a belligerent power, which maintains diplomatic relations with their home states.

While the Geneva Conventions guarantee protection for humanitarian workers, they do not guarantee access of humanitarian workers to affected areas: [[governments]] or [[Military occupation|occupying forces]] may, if they wish, ban a relief agency from working in their area. [[Médecins Sans Frontières]] was created in 1971 with the express purpose of ignoring this restriction, by providing assistance to populations affected by the [[Biafra]]n civil war despite the prohibitions of the government of [[Nigeria]].

In addition, the Geneva Conventions do not require that parties to the conflict guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers. The Conventions prohibit [[combatants]] from attacking protected persons, and they require occupying forces to maintain general order. However, the Conventions do not require that combating parties provide security escorts, for example, when other factions threaten the safety of protected persons operating in their area.

In 2003, the [[United Nations Security Council]] passed [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1502|Resolution 1502]] giving greater protection to humanitarian workers and treating attacks on them as a [[war crime]]. ICRC promotes a framework for Neutral Independent Humanitarian Action (NIHA) to enable differentiated role understanding.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-08-27 |title=UN boosts aid workers' protection |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3183721.stm |access-date=2025-02-04 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>