DAVAO CITY (August 1) — The International Committee of the Red Cross helped the survivors of the Tuesday van explosion in Lamitan, Basilan which killed ten people and wounded eight others including civilian passengers.
The ICRC, in a press statement said they sent two health staff to Camp Navarro General Hospital in Zamboanga City to offer its support for those who were wounded.
Piotr Dregiel, head of the ICRC office in Zamboanga, in a statement said his agency is also working to provide materials such as dressing kits, intravenous fluids and infusion, and other medical supplies, as requested by the hospital’s commanding officer, as soon as possible.
“We are saddened by this incident and condole with the families of those who were killed. Civilians must never be targeted. They are not part of the fighting and are protected under international humanitarian law (IHL),” Dregiel added.
“The main purpose of IHL is to maintain some humanity in conflict. Without respect for IHL, civilians will continue to suffer,” he added.
Two ICRC Zamboanga staff also visited the wounded civilian who was transferred to a Zamboanga hospital to assess the patient’s need for further medical assistance.
The ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance, regardless of their political affiliation.
The statement added, the ICRC seeks to speak to all sides involved in the conflict to secure access for humanitarian assistance and to ensure respect for the rules of war.-NewsLine.ph
