Basic Principles
This International Humanitarian Law Principle helps us determine who and what should be attacked, and who and what should be protected.
What is Distinction?
Restricting indiscriminate weapons while protecting hospitals are examples of these two different forms of civilian protection under IHL.
What are indirect and direct protections?
A type of weapon that is banned because it causes extreme suffering to many people at once.
What is a chemical weapon?
This symbol shows protection for medical workers and buildings in war.
What is the Red Cross/Crescent?
This organization helps protect and assist people affected by war and disasters worldwide.
What is the Red Cross?
This fundamental principle refers to not taking sides in hostilities and controversies.
What is Neutrality?
How does limiting unnecessary suffering indirectly protect the environment?
What is by prohibiting the destruction of natural resources?
Are weapons that cause unnecessary suffering allowed under IHL?
What is no?
Who enforces the IHL?
What is the ICRC?
What is Switzerland?
These individuals must be protected and treated humanely after being captured during armed conflict.
Who are prisoners of war?
Protecting civilians by limiting how warfare is conducted, rather than by granting special legal status to specific groups.
What are indirect protections?
Weapons must be able to clearly target in order to follow IHL rules.
What is a military target?
One type of aid the Red Cross provides during war.
What is medical care?
This man founded the Red Cross after seeing wounded soldiers left untreated in battle.
What is Henry Dunant?
What principle refers to when an attack is launched only after determining it is essential to secure a strategic position and no alternative means would achieve the same result.
What is Military Necessity?
Legal protections granted to specific persons or objects, such as prisoners of war, civilians, or medical personnel.
What are direct protections?
Are landmines allowed everywhere and at all times?
What is no?
What does The ICRC stand for?
What is The International Committee of the Red Cross?
These international rules are meant to make war less harmful by protecting civilians and wounded soldiers.
What is International Humanitarian Law?
Which principle is violated when an attack on a legitimate military objective results in civilian harm that is excessive in relation to the anticipated concrete and direct military advantage?
What is proportionality?
A rule banning indiscriminate attacks protects civilians by regulating the conduct of hostilities, while special legal status for prisoners of war protects specific individuals regardless of how fighting occurs.
What are indirect protections and direct protections?
The reason why IHL restricts certain weapons.
What is to reduce human suffering?
What is the IHL Red Cross's 2025-2026 theme?
What is Journalism in Armed Conflict?
These well-known international agreements set the rules for how wars should be fought and how people must be treated.
What is the Geneva Conventions?