Handicap International, an NGO with a branch in Luxembourg, has called on the states of the international community to take action against the bombing of civilians.
It is in the context of the ongoing Syrian conflict, and what the NGO has described as "appalling conditions" in which nearly a million Syrians are currently living on the Turkish border after fleeing the fighting in Idlib, that Handicap International has urged the states of the international community to fully engage in the ongoing diplomatic process, aimed at protect civilians from bombing.
The largest population displacement since the start of the conflict on 15 March 2011, the escalation of violence in Idlib, in northwestern Syria, has forced nearly a million people, including many women and children, to leave their homes. In the freezing cold of winter, these families crammed into camps along the border with Turkey and require shelter, protection, food, water, hygiene products and medical help, according to Handicap International.
On behalf of the NGO, Martin Lagneau, Director of Handicap International Luxembourg, stated: "We demand an immediate cease-fire and an end to the bombing and shelling of areas populated by civilians". He continued: "These attacks have a terrible impact on civilians and infrastructure, including health centres, in total contradiction with international humanitarian law. The parties to the conflict must also guarantee unhindered access to humanitarian aid”.
The NGO has specified that around three million people are now trapped between the combat zones. Indeed, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) reported that nearly 80,000 people were killed or injured by explosive weapons between 2011 and 2018 in Syria, 85% of whom were civilians. Working in Jordan and Lebanon with Syrian refugees, Handicap International teams are witness to the suffering and trauma of this population and their inability to return home without any social or economic activity.
The NGO has maintained that, aced with this situation, the international community has "a historic opportunity to make the protection of civilians a priority". Indeed, Handicap International and members of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW) are currently in dialogue with delegations from dozens of states, including Luxembourg. Their objective is to convince these states to fully support a strong political declaration against the use of long-range explosive weapons in populated areas and to guarantee substantial aid to the victims.
Negotiations on this joint declaration began in Vienna last October, and since then, working sessions have been held regularly in Geneva to develop the exact text. This diplomatic process will end on 26 May 2020 in Dublin when the declaration is opened for adoption by states. While Luxembourg did not speak during the negotiations, representatives of Handicap International met with the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Yves Cruchten, on 3 March 2020, to encourage him to fight for the protection of civilians with the government. According to the NGO, the LSAP MP was sensitive to the cause, having worked on these issues in the past as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and confirmed his willingness to support Handicap International.
For their part, Luxembourg citizens and residents can mobilise themselves through the NGO's "6 months to win" ("6 mois pour gagner") campaign, launched last October: Through this platform, they can appeal directly to their MPs via a pre-written email. To date, 3,173 emails have been sent to Luxembourg MPs via the NGO’s online platform, which will run until the end of May 2020.
