NEWS
4March
Photo courtesy of The Manila Times
ICRC warns of rising civilian threats amid escalating Middle East hostilities
- Mar 4, 2026
- Muhammad Musa
- HITS: 485
Recent reports reveal a "dangerous chain reaction" of attacks involving multiple regional actors.
Notably, an airstrike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, reportedly caused significant casualties among children.
As hostilities extend beyond Iran, fighting has intensified across borders involving Israel and Gulf countries, raising fears of regional-wide escalation.
Humanitarian agencies, including national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Iran, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories, have heightened their alert levels despite increasing risks to their personnel.
Spoljaric emphasized that the current scope of military operations risks triggering a conflict of overwhelming proportions, which would surpass available humanitarian response capacities.
She warned that while the Red Cross remains prepared to assist, aid efforts cannot keep pace with the suffering caused by ongoing violence.
She reiterated that upholding the rules of war is an obligation, not an option. Civilians and essential infrastructure like schools and hospitals must be protected and kept safe as sanctuaries for learning and saving lives.
The ICRC called on all conflicting parties to fulfill their obligations under International Humanitarian Law. This includes protecting medical personnel and volunteers, allowing them to work safely, and ensuring unobstructed access for humanitarian aid.
Spoljaric stressed that only urgent political steps to de-escalate the conflict can prevent further mass casualties and suffering.
This crisis follows a year marked by increasing instability in the region, with the ICRC’s Humanitarian Outlook 2026 documenting a 70% rise in missing persons and a surge in attacks against health facilities worldwide.
Time in Cotabato
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