International Review of the Red Cross

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Persons with disabilities in armed conflict

Persons with disabilities constitute approximately fifteen percent of the global population, a figure that rises during crises. Armed conflicts, in particular, generate new disabilities and exacerbate existing barriers faced by persons with disabilities. Yet, their experiences and the effects of armed conflict on them are sorely understudied. This edition’s thirty contributions aim to fill that gap, by focusing on how international humanitarian law can strengthen these persons’ protection and how humanitarian policy considerations can incorporate them in any humanitarian response.

Articles in this issue

Editorial, Persons with Disabilities in Armed Conflicts: From Invisibility to Visibility author: Robert Mardini

10 min read

Voices of resilience: The perspective of persons with disabilities in armed conflict author: Nicolas Hocq, Nour Assaf

26 min read

Dreams of a Deafblind Person! author: Alex Garcia

3 min read

Interview with His Royal Highness Prince Mired bin Raad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan author:

24 min read

Interview with His Excellency Pekka Haavisto author:

15 min read

Interview with Gerard Quinn author:

22 min read

Librarian’s Pick, The protection of persons with disabilities in armed conflict: An empty shelf in an IHL-specialized library? author: Sonia Crenn, Charlotte Mohr

12 min read

Accounting for disability in international humanitarian law author: Janet E. Lord

108 min read

Increasing visibility of persons with disabilities in armed conflict: Implications for interpreting and applying IHL author: Alexander Breitegger

99 min read

From invisibility to positive legal protection: The drafting of Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities author: Andrew Begg

65 min read

The protection of women and girls with disabilities in armed conflict: Adopting a gender-, age- and disability-inclusive approach to select IHL provisions author: Sara La Vecchia

89 min read

At risk and overlooked: Children with disabilities and armed conflict author: Emina Ćerimović

63 min read

“I'mpossible”: Some challenges of implementing international law in the area of humanitarian affairs for persons with disabilities author: Mar Maltez

29 min read

Protecting disabled people during armed conflict in North Kivu: Challenges and perspectives author: Ibrahim Ngila Kikuni, Florent Munenge Mudage

26 min read

Who is the civilian population? Ensuring IHL is implemented for the protection of the entirety of the civilian population – including persons with disabilities author: Alice Priddy

25 min read

The origins and influence of victim assistance: Contributions of the Mine Ban Treaty, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Convention on Cluster Munitions author: Bonnie Docherty, Alicia Sanders-Zakre

67 min read

The risks of autonomous weapons: An analysis centred on the rights of persons with disabilities author: Mariana Díaz Figueroa, Anderson Henao Orozco, Jesús Martínez, Wanda Muñoz Jaime

75 min read

Taking economic and social rights earnestly: What does international human rights law offer persons with disabilities in situations of armed conflict? author: Gauthier de Beco

44 min read

Article 12 of the Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa: A critical analysis author: Steve Tiwa Fomekong

82 min read

Protection of persons with disabilities in armed conflict under international humanitarian law and Islamic law author: Ahmed Al-Dawoody, William I. Pons

63 min read

No context is too challenging: Promoting, doing and achieving inclusion in the humanitarian response in South Sudan author: Carolin Funke

54 min read

Exclusive humanitarianism: Policy recommendations for genuine inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action author: Kirsten Young

55 min read

Advancing rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action: a donor perspective author: Mina C. Mojtahedi, Riikka Mikkola, Niklas Saxén

47 min read

Mental health and the law: What else is needed for particularly vulnerable contexts facing armed conflict and development obstacles? author: Sarah Miller

37 min read

Advancing towards inclusive peace and security: Persons with disabilities and Security Council Resolution 2475 author: Bogna Ruminowicz

24 min read

United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy: A framework to accelerate transformative change for persons with disabilities in the peace and security pillar author: Gopal Mitra, Georgia Dominik

12 min read

Addressing the accountability void: War crimes against persons with disabilities author: William I. Pons, Janet E. Lord, Michael Ashley Stein

51 min read

Opportunities and failures to prosecute violence against persons with disabilities at the international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone author: Kate McInnes

92 min read

No longer the “forgotten victims of armed conflict”: Operational and legal considerations for accountability mechanisms regarding crimes affecting persons with disabilities author: Alexa Magee

62 min read

Inaccessible justice: The violation of Article 13 of the CRPD and the ICC's role in filling the accountability gap author: Ashira Vantrees

67 min read

ICRC and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement: Some recent documents on international humanitarian law and persons with disabilities author:

2 min read

Previous Reviews

All reviews

Protracted conflict

The average time that the ICRC has been present in its 10 largest operations is 42 years. The duration of humanitarian operations in protracted conflict settings has caused organizations like the ICRC to re-think their way of working. The humanitarian consequences of protracted situations of armed conflict are varied, including the cumulative effects of hostilities on infrastructure and healthcare systems, prolonged displacement, increased barriers to accessing essential services to provide support for vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities, and interruptions to education to name just a few. In light of the humanitarian imperative to respond to these needs in spite of the ouroboros of a seemingly endless war, the Review has dedicated this edition to protracted conflict.

Humanitarian Law & Policy blog

ICRC Blog 1 week 6 days ago

When hostilities end but suffering remains: the necessary continuation of humanitarian activities in the aftermath
Émilie Charpentier

ICRC Blog 2 weeks 6 days ago

Humanitarian principles in action: a Q&A with the South Sudan Red Cross
John Lobor

ICRC Blog 3 weeks 1 day ago

‘Nothing about us without us’: including civilians with disabilities in the aftermath
Victoria Riello