TWO International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) leaders visited Marawi City and witnessed the long-lasting impact of urban warfare and engaged authorities in steps to reduce civilian harm.

ICRC Vice President Gilles Carbonnier and Regional Director for Asia-Pacific Christine Cipolla are in the country to reaffirm the ICRC’s neutral, impartial, and independent humanitarian action in the country, in strong partnership with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

The ICRC leaders discussed humanitarian priorities at national and regional levels with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Jesus Domingo, Defense Undersecretary Ignacio Madriaga, the Bangsamoro Minister of the Interior and Local Government Naguib Sinarimbo and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Guiling Mamondiong.

From November 11 to 19, Carbonnier and Cipolla went to Marawi City where rehabilitation efforts continue after it was heavily damaged by armed conflict in 2017.

The two leaders appreciated the humanitarian response of the PRC in Mindanao, including in areas that were recently hit by Tropical Storm Nalgae (Paeng). The ICRC has been supporting the PRC and the government’s COVID-19 vaccination efforts in remote and conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.

With PRC chairman Richard Gordon and cecretary general Gwendolyn Pang, they went to a PRC Bakuna Bus in General Santos City.

Chairman Gordon said: “The ICRC has always been supportive of the PRC’s COVID-19 interventions. They donated buses equipped with a vaccine administration area and supplies, while we provided a cadre of volunteers to perform the task. In the PRC, we cannot deny opportunities to help because it’s our aim to uplift people… we do not give dole-outs, we uplift people.”

“War in cities inflicts deep scars, both visible and invisible. In Marawi, the most affected area has been reduced to rubble, and livelihoods were destroyed. Families continue to search for their loved ones who have gone missing for more than five years,” said Carbonnier

He added: “Complying with IHL in the midst of conflict, particularly in densely populated areas, reduces civilian harm and ensuing grievances. This in turn helps create an enabling environment for peace and reconciliation, as a former commander of a non-state armed group shared with me based on his experience in Mindanao.”

Carbonnier and Cipolla were in Marawi before the launching of the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in Dublin, Ireland.

The new declaration represents a major milestone in protecting civilians in contemporary armed conflicts and sends a strong signal worldwide that civilians and essential services must be protected.

Meanwhile, Carbonnier and Cipolla had the opportunity to better understand the causes and consequences of massive overcrowding in Philippine detention facilities, seeing first-hand the situation in Quezon City Jail.

The ICRC supports the Philippine authorities’ efforts to decongest places of detention and improve the treatment and conditions of detention.

“Overcrowding increases the spread of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, scabies, and tuberculosis in places of detention. We will continue to engage detaining authorities in confidential and bilateral dialogues to pursue a collective and sustainable response,” Cipolla said.