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	Fighting in regions of Libya is having grave humanitarian consequences by Red Cross, Red Crescent, Irin News   17 February 2015   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday said the mass beheading of 20 Egyptian Coptic Christians and apparently another Christian man in Libya was a “vile crime targeting people on the basis of their religion” and urged Libyans to unite against extremists launching attacks based on religious, ethnic, national, racial or political grounds.   “The brutal murder of these men, and the ghastly attempt to justify and glorify it in a video, should be roundly condemned by everyone, in particular by the people of Libya who should resist the urgings of takfiri groups,” High Commissioner Zeid said. “Murdering captives or hostages is prohibited under international law and Islamic law.”   “This is not the first time that Coptic Christians have been targeted in Libya or elsewhere in the region. As described in a report we published last week, UN human rights staff have documented several incidents involving abductions of Egyptian Copts in Libya. In one incident, in December last year, the bodies of three members of a Coptic Christian family were found in Sirte. Churches and other religious sites have also been attacked in Libya over the past three years.”   In their response, Zeid said, the Egyptian air force must ensure full respect of the principles of distinction between civilians and fighters, and civilians objects and military objectives.   The beheading of the 21 men took place against the backdrop of increasing lawlessness amid the armed conflict in Libya. The UN Human Rights report* published last week detailed the rampant violence and fighting in the country, which is badly affecting civilians in general and specific groups in particular – including Coptic Christians, other minorities, migrants, journalists and human rights defenders.   On Saturday, UN staff received reports that the director of the human rights group, the National Commission for Human Rights, Dr. Hadi Ben Taleb, and one of its board members, Mr. Ahmed Osta, had been abducted by the al-Sa''dawi armed group in the Ain Zara neighbourhood of Tripoli. Since then, their relatives and colleagues have received no further information about their fate or whereabouts. Zeid called for the two men’s release, and pending this, for their relatives to be informed of their location.   The High Commissioner urged all parties in Libya to work towards a meaningful dialogue to bring to an end the current conflict, and in particular to engage constructively with the efforts of Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Bernardino León to advance an inclusive political process aimed at addressing Libya’s daunting political and security challenges.   “This is the only solution. The path to a peaceful and prosperous Libya – like anywhere else -- involves upholding everyone’s human rights, irrespective of faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. Joining, copying or giving in to groups that glorify blood-letting is akin to buying a one-way ticket to disaster, not just for yourself, but for your relatives and your entire society. Adopting extremist takfiri behavior will simply add layer upon layer of suffering on an already suffering country – as we have seen all too clearly in Syria and Iraq.”   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15576&LangID=E   Aug 2014   The ongoing fighting in regions of Libya is having grave humanitarian consequences within the country and putting pressure on its borders with Tunisia and Egypt. Hostilities have forced large numbers of people, including migrant workers, to leave the country.   In the last few days, fierce battles in Benghazi and Tripoli have caused the displacement of hundreds of families who sought safe shelter either in schools and public facilities or in host communities. The Libyan Ministry of Health has said 214 people have been killed and more than 900 wounded. It has warned of the possible collapse of the health system, should the situation continue.   The Libyan Red Crescent, one of the few organizations left on the ground, has provided essential medical and relief assistance since the eruption of violence in May. In Benghazi, Red Crescent teams evacuated 57 bodies this week to Benghazi medical center and activated its Restoring Family Links team. The society has also increased its activities to promote awareness of the remnants of war. More than 700 displaced families from Tripoli were supported by the Libyan Red Crescent.   Omar Ajaudah, Secretary General of the Libyan Red Crescent said the organization had limited resources to deal with the situation. “If the crisis continues longer, the situation will become a big burden on us. We ask for support to strengthen our response to the humanitarian needs of the displaced. Despite these challenges, we are carrying on with our efforts, ” he said.   In cooperation with the Libyan authorities, the Red Crescent has been assisting in preparing schools to receive hundreds of displaced families. The needs of these families are acute with food and water of most concern.   At least 2 million people are at risk of acute food shortage as intense fighting is affecting the provision of supplies from warehouses and stocks which are located in the areas of conflict. Medical supplies also face the same risk. Libyan Red Crescent volunteers have been facilitating the delivery of medical supplies to hospitals and were mobilized to empty the warehouse of the Ministry of Health – which was damaged – and distributed the medical supplies to the hospitals in Tripoli.   Dr Taher Cheniti, the Secretary General of the Tunisian Red Crescent, said: “More than 6,000 people are crossing the borders with Tunisia each day, with the majority being migrants – mostly Egyptians – who are stranded on the Libyan side. Our volunteers have been deployed and supported Libyan families and Egyptian migrants with food and water”.   “Together with ICRC and IFRC, we have contributed to setting the National contingency plan led by the Tunisian government and involving all international humanitarian agencies working in Tunisia, ” said Dr Cheniti.   The Tunisian authorities have taken strict preventive measures leading to the temporary closure of the border, with the exception of humanitarian cases.   “Our volunteers are experiencing very difficult conditions and in many cases, they were forced to retreat from the field because of the renewed clashes despite prior coordination between parties in conflict. It is madness to try to save people without any security, the protection of our volunteers is a top concern, and their courage in the face of great danger is what helps us in responding to the humanitarian imperative,” said Ajaudah.   Ajaudah has also called all parties to the conflict to cooperate with the Libyan Red Crescent so it can play its humanitarian role fully, as he assured the commitment of the volunteers to the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement including neutrality, impartiality and independence.   http://www.ifrc.org/en/news-and-media/news-stories/middle-east-and-north-africa/tunisia/libyan-and-tunisian-societies-working-together-in-response-to-increased-violence-in-tripoli-and-benghazi-66573-66574/ http://www.irinnews.org/report/100455/aid-workers-leave-libya http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=50041#.VNqOsSypX-Y
	Protection of Syrian civilians must be world’s priority by FIDH, WithSyria coalition, agencies   Protection of Syrian civilians must be world"s priority, humanitarian and human rights groups demand   Ahead of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, the #WithSyria coalition, comprised of Save the Children, Amnesty International and others, is urging world leaders, whoever they support in the conflict, to make clear that they are on the side of civilians.   This means by using their power to ensure that international law is respected and attacks on civilians including schools, hospitals, and shelters are stopped.   According to the UN, direct, indiscriminate, and disproportionate attacks by groups on all sides are responsible for the majority of civilian deaths, as well as making it impossible in some areas for humanitarian agencies to reach those in desperate need.   “We need world leaders this week to set out how they will fulfil their promise of February, and work together to end attacks on civilians and ensure people get the aid they need, ” said David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, a member of the #WithSyria coalition.   “The world must not turn its back on the people of Syria who have been attacked both indiscriminately and directly for more than three years, ” he continued.   In February this year, the UN Security Council, comprised of some of the world’s most powerful nations, unanimously voted to end direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Syria and ensure humanitarian aid gets to the millions who need it.   Six months later, the country is more chaotic than ever, with more than 1500 armed groups in operation across the country, and fighting spreading into northern Iraq. Since February, the city of Aleppo alone has seen over 650 major impact strikes.   “The world is rightly horrified by recent developments in Iraq and Syria. But a military strategy won’t stop the daily distress for millions of Syrians who continue to suffer unimaginable pain, loss and fear each and every day,” said Dr Rola Hallam of Hand in Hand for Syria, a medical charity operating in some of the worst-affected areas in Syria.   “I’ve seen the devastation caused by the bombing of schools and hospitals where families were seeking refuge. It’s horrifying, it’s immoral and it has to stop.”   The situation has got so dire partially because "the killers, destroyers and torturers in Syria have been empowered and emboldened by the international paralysis," according to Navi Pillay, until this month the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.   The coalition of organizations from 27 countries around the world has launched a petition demanding that leaders set out the further diplomatic steps they will take to bring an end to indiscriminate attacks, as promised in February, and reminding them that while there may be no end in sight to the conflict, lives can be saved now.   A video released on YouTube to bring the campaign to a wider audience has already garnered almost 400,000 views since its launch last week.   “The daily deluge of indiscriminate or deliberate bombing of civilians is wounding a whole generation ”, said Karim Lahidji, President of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).   “If leaders gathering in New York this week don’t seek to stem the bloodshed, and protect civilians from harm, we will sow the seeds for decades more of suffering and unrest. Acting to protect civilians in Syria is simply the right thing to do. But let us also learn from the mistakes of the past and address the deeper causes of the region’s instability - not just its most terrifying spinoff.”   February’s agreement, Resolution 2139, which simply demanded that parties adhere to their basic obligations under international law, has been largely ignored.   It was hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough - but has not resulted in enough change for the Syrian people, who are paying the price of global inaction. As the world’s attention shifts to the wider political crisis, the #WithSyria coalition is calling on leaders to fulfil the Security Council’s promise made in February to protect civilians.   Mr Miliband concluded: “Caught up in a conflict not of their making, Syrians are dying every day. As humanitarian agencies our mandate is to help them, but there are people we can’t reach because of the continuing attacks by all sides that also put our staff at risk. ”   http://www.fidh.org/en/north-africa-middle-east/syria/16083-protection-of-syrian-civilians-must-be-world-s-priority-humanitarian-and
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