The Luxembourg Red Cross is launching its awareness and fundraising campaign #NOTATARGET in support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The ICRC provides emergency assistance on the ground every day in more than 80 countries, working in areas of armed conflict to provide protection and assistance to victims. However, public health services and humanitarian organisations have become targets of violence. In the past two years, the ICRC documented more than 1,200 acts of violence against medical facilities or health personnel. 

Ariane Bauer, coordinator of ICRC operations for the Middle East, testified at a press conference held in Luxembourg on 27 June about the challenges and problems of non-compliance with the Geneva Conventions: "A destroyed hospital is a disaster for those who treat in it, those who are treated, and those who can no longer be treated. Numbers and statistics have the drawback of making things more anonymous, more distant. Collectively, we must realise that behind these statistics lie individual tragedies, that each of these attacks is against human beings."

These acts constitute flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and prevent health services from functioning properly when they are most needed. Combatants and civilians are dying just because they are prevented from getting medical attention in time. Entire communities no longer have access to vital services.

Violence against health personnel, medical structures and medical vehicles is therefore a real humanitarian problem with widespread and lasting effects. The Luxembourg Red Cross therefore hopes to raise awareness of the problem in the Grand Duchy. A dedicated website has been set up for this campaign: www.notatarget.lu.