The International Committee of the Red Cross is warning that 2015 is going to see a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions given the growth of Islamic State, and violence in both Syria and Iraq. As ICRC struggles to keep its operations in the area going, it was able to play a key role in the release of 46 Kerala nurses from Tikrit in June 2014. On a visit to India, ICRC Director-General Yves Daccord spoke to The Hindu ’s Diplomatic Editor Suhasini Haidar about India’s concerns over 40 men similarly trapped in Mosul, and the challenges facing the international community.
In 2014, the ICRC said Syria and Iraq were the biggest challenge, with millions in refugee camps, how bad do you think the situation in both countries will be in 2015?
If you look at Syria and Iraq, the most vulnerable people are the ones who have remained within, especially in Syria. It is now the fourth winter that they are suffering, the health situation, the economic situation is dramatic, totally destroy, forget about the education. And we are talking about a country that was middle income, and rather well-functioning. Access to food remains difficult. Within that, ICRC is most concerned about the prisoners… we have no access to them. Then we come to refugees. The UNHCR is speaking of 4 million refugees who could be in other countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and we have to be prepared they could stay for a long time. The question in 2015 is to see who is ready to share the burden internationally.
The most frightening images have come from IS terrorists and their execution of people. How has the ICRC dealt with this challenge, given that some of your own workers are missing in these areas- is your neutrality also being challenged?
We no longer consider our neutrality for granted. The time is over when you can declare yourself impartial in a situation like this. We saw it in Afghanistan, now with the Islamic State. We are in a very polarised world. Now we are seen as western or not, Christian or not, judged by who our donors are. It’s a difficult time. And we are much more at risk than before, but still trying to work with communities there. Even the international media is taking measures, no one can cover the Islamic State areas, for example. Not one image of the Islamic state has come which they haven’t produced themselves.
In June last year the ICRC played an important role in helping India bring back 46 nurses who were trapped in Tikrit under IS control. Tell us how it happened?
Well you can imagine we cannot divulge too many details, but yet ICRC was very happy to have been of assistance in this case. Once we found that the nurses were safe, our next task was to start a conversation between those who controlled the area and the Indian government. That is eventually what led to them returning safely.
But there are still about 40 men who were last seen in Mosul… would you have any news about them, and how should the government proceed on them?
I can’t confirm if we know their whereabouts, but I would say there is no reason to believe they are not alive. And I think there is every reason to hope that they are alive. So the government must not give up hope, and it must continue to press for their release. It is important to keep pursuing the case, letting those who may be holding them know that these 40 men are very valuable to India. They must keep their efforts going, and as I said they must make it clear how important these men are to India.
The fact is other countries have been able to negotiate for the release of their people, through interlocutors in Turkey etc. Would you suggest India must do the same, why is the government not successful yet?
As I said, the first step is to ensure that there is a conversation between those who may be holding these men, and the government. Next, it must be made clear that these men are important, that they will not be forgotten. What we have learned in the cases of release is also that you need a lot of patience. In many cases, it has taken 1,2 even more years for people to be returned from there.
I wanted to also ask you about the U.S. Senate report on the subject of torture of detainees that came out last month. Do you think the U.S. is addressing the problem to the ICRC’s satisfaction, as the ICRC had originally done the study on U.S. detention facilities?
We value the fact that there is a public debate in the U.S., on subjects as sensitive as torture and detention. But what worries me is that the debate is not whether torture is illegal but whether it is effective or not, and whether the methods used are actually countering terrorism. Torture is deeply wrong. It is illegal according to all international and domestic law, and it has a deep impact on the victims. But it also has a deep impact on the people who are in authority who carry out acts of torture. It’s a dehumanisation, corruption of mankind. And the abuse grows the hatred in every part of the world.
In fact, that is what the al-Qaeda and the IS use as evidence that there is a double standard, with which they radicalise people. And it is true that there is no UNHRC vote against the U.S., no international censure of the truly brutal form of torture the U.S. forces use.
There is a global double standard on many issues. But what is positive is that the U.S. did put the torture report on the table and make it public. It is important that President Obama signed the order to close Guantanamo, even if he never did it. We had told the Americans that the torture we found was really terrible, it was a challenge area and we are glad that they brought out their own report.
Are there “challenge areas” in India that ICRC is working on as well?
We are working in India since 1995, specifically in Jammu and Kashmir. Relations have been frank and engaging, and I wouldn’t say we have been hampered in any way. We are aiming at discussing not just internal issues, but also India’s role in global issues. International issues like Afghanistan, where India could help in healthcare. Or in cybersecurity. Cyber attacks are a very real threat to the world, and they could target humanitarian services to be at the table to discuss. If you want to ensure is that there is no double standard in the world, don’t let the big powers take the lead on issues like that. Or don’t complain.
