Abstract
It is widely held in current opinion that in the event of disaster occurring in conflict-affected countries (the so-called mixed situations) International Humanitarian Law (IHL) exclusively governs humanitarian assistance and relief. This work explores the content and extent of the rights and obligations of the parties to an international or non-international armed conflict in the event of disaster. It focuses on humanitarian assistance and the relief provisions included in the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, with special regard to Article 70 of Additional Protocol I and Article 18 of Additional Protocol II. Based on a survey of relevant international practice, the author finds that IHL plays a limited role in facilitating disaster assistance and relief, and that one important reason for this is that the rule of consent, constantly reaffirmed by pertinent treaties and agreements, may seriously obstruct assistance and relief. It is then argued that in mixed situations, IHL and IDRL should be considered complementary rather than alternative. The choice of which body of special rules to apply should be made on the basis of the respective degree of appropriateness for the specific situation, taking into consideration the clarity and precision of the pertinent provisions.
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Notes
- 1.
NIACs, often arising from disputes over resources, currently characterize many developing countries especially in Africa and in Asia. See Ballentine, Sherman 2003, 259–283.
- 2.
- 3.
Brancati 2007, 725.
- 4.
Fisher 2007, 368. See also Chap. 1 by de Guttry in this volume.
- 5.
IFRC 2008, 10.
- 6.
A/CN.4/L.758 of 24 July 2009.
- 7.
ICJ, Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, Advisory Opinion of 8 July 1996, ICJ Rep. 1996, 240 at para 25. See also ICJ, Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Palestinian Occupied Territory, Advisory Opinion, 9 July 2004, para 106.
- 8.
- 9.
Gavshon 2009, 250.
- 10.
General protection of the wounded and sick, evacuation, protection of hospital, medical staff and transportation, consignments of medical supplies, food and clothing, measures related to child welfare, family news and dispersed families: see GC IV Articles 13–26.
- 11.
GC IV Articles 48–49.
- 12.
GC IV Article 108.
- 13.
GCs Article 3 para 2, AP II Articles 7–11.
- 14.
Uhler, Coursier 1958, 51.
- 15.
GC I, GC II and GC III Article 9, GC IV Article 10.
- 16.
GC IV Article 111.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
GC III Article 72.
- 20.
GC III Article 73 and Annex III.
- 21.
GC I Article 27; GC II Article 25.
- 22.
Uhler, Coursier 1958, 319.
- 23.
- 24.
GC IV Article 61.
- 25.
GC IV Article 60. See Patrnogic 1984, 925.
- 26.
GC I Article 62.
- 27.
AP I Articles. 69–71.
- 28.
- 29.
AP I Aticle 70 para 2. States allowing passage retain the right to prescribe the related technical arrangements, including search, and to make permission conditional on the distribution of assistance being made under the local supervision of a Protecting Power (Article 70 para 3).
- 30.
AP I Article 70, para 1.
- 31.
Henckaerts, Doswald Beck 2005, Rule 55.
- 32.
AP I Article 70 para 1.
- 33.
See Chap. 16 by Bizzarri in this volume.
- 34.
Bothe 1989, 95.
- 35.
Sandoz et al. 1987, 1479 at para 4885.
- 36.
Idem at para 4884.
- 37.
- 38.
Eritrea/Ethiopia Disaster Diplomacy, http//www.disasterdiplomacy.org/Eritreaethiopia.html. Accessed 26 September 2011. See also Kelman 2012, 34–36.
- 39.
Agreement between the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Government of the State of Eritrea, Algiers 12 December 2000, Article 5 para 1. The text of the agreement is available on the website of the Permanent Court of Arbitration: http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/Algiers%20Agreement.pdf. Accessed 26 October 2011.
- 40.
Eritrea–Ethiopia Claims Commission, Final Award, Ports, Ethiopia’s claim 6, December 19, 2005 para 20, http://www.pca-cpa.org/upload/files/FINAL%20ET%20PORTS.pdf. Accessed 26 October 2011. See Heintschel von Heinegg 2009, 378–379.
- 41.
Loc. cit. n. 40 para 22.
- 42.
See Chap. 2 by Venturini in this volume.
- 43.
Shoaf, Rottman 2000, 58; Brancati 2007, 724.
- 44.
Brancati 2007, 724–725.
- 45.
Shoaf, Rottman 2000, 59. Reports on IFRC operations are available on the Federation’s website: http://www.ifrc.org. Accessed 26 October 2011.
- 46.
- 47.
In June 1999 the Democratic Republic of the Congo brought applications before the International Court of Justice against Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda concerning the alleged perpetration of acts of armed aggression in violation of the United Nations Charter and of the Charter of the Organization of African Unity. It discontinued proceedings against Burundi and Rwanda in 2001. The Court found Uganda responsible for violations of human rights treaties and IHL, particularly as occupying power in the province of Ituri (Armed activities on the territory of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda, Judgment of 19 December 2005, ICJ Rep. 2005).
- 48.
Goma Volcano in 2002, http://www.disasterdiplomacy.org/casestudies.html. Accessed 30 September 2011. See also Kelman 2012, 83–84.
- 49.
ICRC, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Eruption of Nyiragongo Volcano, Goma. 04.02.2002 Operational Update, http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/57jrmb.htm. Accessed 3 October 2011.
- 50.
Sri Lanka: ICRC provides relief for tsunami victims, ICRC News Release 04/149 of 28 December 2004, http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/684m43.htm. Accessed 26 October 2011. Aceh: reconstruction will take years, ICRC Press Briefing of 6 September 2005, http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/misc/tsunami-aceh-060905.htm. Accessed 30 September 2011.
- 51.
Kennedy et al. 2008, 26–29.
- 52.
- 53.
Loc. cit. But see Kennedy et al., 30.
- 54.
The ICRC in Sri Lanka 01–05–2011 Overview, http://www.icrc.org/eng/where-we-work/asia-pacific/sri-lanka/overview-sri-lanka.htm. Accessed 30 September 2011.
- 55.
Ross 2003, 6.
- 56.
Sinitchkina 2005, 4.
- 57.
- 58.
As expressed by the members of the Institut de Droit International (The effects of Armed Conflicts on Treaties 1985, articles 2 and 4).
- 59.
International Law Commission 2011, Article 3 and Annex.
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Venturini, G. (2012). Disasters and Armed Conflict. In: de Guttry, A., Gestri, M., Venturini, G. (eds) International Disaster Response Law. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague, The Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-882-8_11
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