IRRC No. 874
Facilitating humanitarian assistance in international humanitarian and human rights law
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Abstract
Violent attacks on humanitarian workers, as well as other restrictions, substantially limit the ability of humanitarian aid agencies to provide assistance to those in need. Using the humanitarian crises in Darfur and Somalia as examples, this article considers the legal obligation of state and non-state actors to consent to and facilitate humanitarian assistance, and examines whether this obligation now extends even to situations where the denial of such assistance does not necessarily threaten the survival of a civilian population.