Addressing sexual violence in conflict

Today, there are more than 120 armed conflicts in the world. Polarization and violations of international humanitarian law have devastating impacts on millions of civilians. Anchoring our humanitarian action in the principles of impartiality and neutrality enables the International Committee of the Red Cross to protect and assist conflict-affected populations in some of the hardest reach areas.
Sexual violence is widespread during conflicts with 70% of women in fragile and conflict-affected contexts experience sexual and gender-based violence. It is often used as a tactic of war to instill fear, rupture family ties, and erode social cohesion over time. Sexual violence has long-lasting, multigenerational consequences for individuals, families, and communities, which are exacerbated by social stigma, limited access to life-saving services, and resource scarcity in times of war.
Victims/survivors require immediate care to address their physical and mental-health needs, as well as long-term interventions to offset the harmful impact of social rejection and economic destitution.
To address the needs of the victims and survivors, the ICRC adopts a multidisciplinary approach and launched a flagship appeal to raise awareness on the need for comprehensive care, mitigation and prevention of sexual violence, including through engagement with weapon bearers and policymakers in our role of neutral intermediary.
We facilitate access to life-saving services. Through our support to primary-health-care facilities and hospitals, we ensure that victims/survivors have timely access to emergency medical care within the first 72 hours as well during their longer-term recovery. We help victims/survivors access community-based psychosocial support networks and culturally appropriate care through various activities, such as training for health workers. We facilitate the provision of cash assistance, vocational training, and safe livelihood opportunities to help survivors rebuild their lives, regain financial stability, and reduce their exposure to other conflict-related risks.
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