In armed conflicts, belligerent parties have to allow and facilitate access for humanitarian relief [1] to civilians [2] in need. The humanitarian relief must be impartial in character and adverse distinction [3] may not be made in delivering it. The consent [4] of the territorial State is required although it cannot be arbitrarily withheld. It is controversial whether the consent of an armed group [5] controlling the area targeted by the humanitarian operation is equally required or even sufficient in this regard.
In international armed conflicts, belligerent parties also have to allow representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross [6] and Protecting Powers [7] access to all places where prisoners of war [8] or protected persons [9] may be. The names of the representatives appointed must be approved by the detaining power. In non-international armed conflicts, the ICRC may only “offer its services” to visit all persons deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict.
See Humanitarian assistance [10]; Civilians [2]; Consent [4]; Adverse distinction [3]; International Committee of the Red Cross [6]; Protecting Powers [7]; Prisoners of war [8]; Protected persons [9]; Humanitarian organizations [11];
Access to the territory of a Party to the international armed conflict
GC IV, 23
[13]P I, 70
[14]P I, 71 [15]
Access to occupied territory
Access in non-international armed conflicts
P I, 18 [18]
Access under customary humanitarian law (applicable to IACs and NIACs)
Access to persons deprived of their liberty in non-international armed conflicts
GC I-IV, 3 [21] (see updated ICRC Commentary [22])
Of Protecting Powers and ICRC to all places where POW or protected persons may be
ICRC, Tracing Service (Para. 4) [25]
Ethiopia/Somalia, Prisoners of War of the Ogaden Conflict [26]
Eritrea/Ethiopia, Partial Award on POWs (Part A., Paras. 55-62) [27]
ICRC, Iran/Iraq, Memoranda [28]
Afghanistan/Canada, Agreements on the Transfer of Detainees [29] (Part A., Paras. 4 [30], 7 [31], 10 [32]; Part B., Para. 10 [33])
Eastern Ukraine, OHCHR Report on the Situation: November 2016 - February 2017 [34]
DINSTEIN Yoram, "The Release of Prisoners of War", in Studies and Essays on International Humanitarian Law and Red Cross Principles in Honour of Jean Pictet, Geneva/The Hague, ICRC/M. Nijhoff, 1984, pp. 37-45.
SASSÒLI Marco, "The Status, Treatment and Repatriation of Deserters under International Humanitarian Law", in Yearbook of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, 1985, pp. 9-36.
SCHAPIRO L. B., "Repatriation of Deserters", in BYIL, Vol. 29, 1952, pp. 310-324.
SHIELDS DELESSERT Christiane, Release and Repatriation of Prisoners of War at the End of Active Hostilities: A Study of Article 118, paragraph 1, of the Third Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Zurich, Schulthess, Études suisses de Droit international, Vol. 5, 1977, 225 pp.
Further reading:
BAXTER Richard R., "Asylum to Prisoners of War", in BYIL, Vol. 30, 1953, pp. 489-498.
MURPHY Sean D., "Evolving Geneva Convention Paradigms in the 'War on Terrorism': Applying the Core Rules to the Release of Persons Deemed 'Unpriviliged Combatants'", in The George Washington Law Review, Vol. 75, No. 5/6, August 2007, pp. 1105-1164.
Links
[1] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/relief
[2] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/civilians
[3] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/adverse-distinction
[4] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/consent
[5] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/armed-groups
[6] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/international-committee-red-cross
[7] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/protecting-powers
[8] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/prisoners-war
[9] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/protected-persons
[10] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/humanitarian-assistance
[11] https://casebook.icrc.org/glossary/humanitarian-organisations
[12] https://casebook.icrc.org/law/combatants-and-pows#chapter6
[13] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=4FBC9DEAB064E2B7C12563CD0051BB76
[14] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=609876DAFD3EEEACC12563CD0051DF9A
[15] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=B67EDFC718BF74E3C12563CD0051DFC4
[16] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=EDA33BAD877F6183C12563CD0051BE90
[17] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=D1D446618BF1B143C12563CD0051DF82
[18] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=C97EBA985969303BC12563CD0051E90B
[19] https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule55
[20] https://www.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v1_rul_rule56
[21] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=A4E145A2A7A68875C12563CD0051B9AE
[22] https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Comment.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=59F6CDFA490736C1C1257F7D004BA0EC
[23] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=7906C83A016D8A9EC12563CD0051B596
[24] https://www.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Article.xsp?action=openDocument&documentId=E902285DB5A35160C12563CD0051C602
[25] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/icrc-tracing-service#para_4
[26] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/ethiopiasomalia-prisoners-war-ogaden-conflict
[27] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/eritreaethiopia-partial-award-pows#part_a_para_55
[28] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/icrc-iraniraq-memoranda
[29] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistancanada-agreements-transfer-detainees
[30] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistancanada-agreements-transfer-detainees#part_a_para_4
[31] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistancanada-agreements-transfer-detainees#part_a_para_7
[32] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistancanada-agreements-transfer-detainees#part_a_para_10
[33] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/afghanistancanada-agreements-transfer-detainees#part_b_para_10
[34] https://casebook.icrc.org/case-study/eastern-ukraine-ohchr-report-situation-november-2016-february-2017