(AGENPARL) – Fri 21 March 2025 Logo ICRC EN.jpg      International Committee of the Red Cross
** ICRC Regional Director, Nicolas Von Arx, warns of catastrophic consequences for civilians caught up in endless escalations in the Middle East
————————————————————
ICRC – STATEMENT 
21 March 2025
From the resumption of hostilities in Gaza and Israel to escalating violence in Yemen, millions of civilians in the Middle East find themselves once again trapped in a never-ending cycle of violence.
Today, our teams see the impact on civilians firsthand. In Gaza, people need aid and medical care, and hostages must come home. In Yemen, communities fear for their safety again. In Syria, recent waves of violence displaced people from their homes once again and created new waves of humanitarian needs.
Action needs to be taken now to save lives and restore hope. Civilians must be spared from attacks. Hospitals and essential infrastructure must be protected from military operations. Aid must reach those who need it.
All parties must uphold international humanitarian law, particularly the need to protect civilians and civilian objects, humanitarian workers and medical teams.
We remain committed to delivering lifesaving assistance and responding to the urgent needs of those so heavily affected. We support the most affected communities together with our partners in the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, focusing on healthcare services, access to water and reuniting families, in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, Yemen and Syria.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
** For more information, please contact:
————————————————————
Public Relations Unit | International Committee of the Red Cross | 19, avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
______________________
ICRC, Avenue de la Paix, 19, Geneva, . 1201 Switzerland