GENEVA – Greater respect for and implementation of international humanitarian law are essential to prevent, mitigate and resolve internal displacement in situations of armed conflict, a UN expert said today.
“Time and again, from Gaza to Sudan and countless other places, we witness a profound disregard for human life, leaving people with no choice but to flee,” said Paula Gaviria Betancur, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
In her latest report to the Human Rights Council, Gaviria examined how international humanitarian law can prevent internal displacement, protect civilians during displacement and support durable solutions for internally displaced persons. She highlighted that violations of the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, attacks on civilian objects and essential infrastructure, restrictions on humanitarian access and other violations of IHL continue to force people from their homes and deepen their vulnerability.
“Millions of people are displaced by armed conflict each year. Yet displacement is not an inevitable consequence of war,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Much of this suffering could be prevented if parties to conflict fully respected their obligations under international humanitarian law.”
The report notes that evolving patterns of warfare, including urban conflict, the use of drone-deployed explosive weapons in populated areas, siege-like tactics, and increasingly fragmented conflicts involving multiple actors, are heightening displacement risks and making civilian protection more difficult.
The expert stressed that forced displacement is prohibited under international humanitarian law, and called for greater accountability for violations that lead to displacement. “The persistence of impunity sends a dangerous signal and fuels recurring cycles of abuse and displacement,” she said.
Gaviria called on States to strengthen the implementation of international humanitarian law through legislation, policy and military practice, improve data collection and analysis on conflict-related displacement, and ensure that internally displaced persons are meaningfully consulted in decisions affecting them.
She also urged all parties to armed conflicts, including non-State armed groups, to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians.
“International humanitarian law provides a vital framework for protecting civilians before, during and after displacement,” the Special Rapporteur said. “Strengthening respect for these rules is indispensable to addressing one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian and human rights challenges. For millions of displaced people, their safety, dignity and prospects for the future depend on it.”
