Page 77 - KDU Law Journal Volume 4 Issue 2

KDU Law Journal Volume 04 Issue II
September, 2024
destruction of agricultural and other similar products and the
infrastructure required for civilian survival.
20
e) Article 70 of the Additional Protocol I- states that parties to
the conflict are obliged to provide unhindered access to the
humanitarian reliefs.
21
f) Articles 55 and 81 of the Fourth Geneva Convention - declare
that states should provide humanitarian aid to the civilian
population under their control.
g) Article 18 of Additional Protocol II - declares the right to
humanitarian assistance for the survival of population in non -
international armed conflict.
h) UN Security Council Resolution 2417 (2018) - condemn
starving of civilians and denying humanitarian access as warfare
tactics.
22
The legal provisions relating to non-international conflicts are
contained in Common Article 3(2) of the Geneva Conventions of
1949 and Article 18 of Additional Protocol II of 1977.

Some critics argue that humanitarian aid in times of war may prolong
the conflict and it can be used as weapons of war as well. Another
23
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dimension of wartime humanitarian aid is that it may be used as
20 ‘Article 54 - Protection of Objects Indispensable to the Survival of Civilian Population’ (Icrc.
org 2024) <https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/api-1977/article-54#:~:text=It%20
is%20prohibited%20to%20attack> accessed 14 February 2024.
21 Anita Nwotite, ‘Unimpeded Access to Humanitarian Assistance as a Panacea for Civilian
Protection: A Legal Perspective’ (2022) 3 International Journal of Law and Clinical
Legal Education 121 <https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/
itljlolw3&div=21&id=&page=> accessed 14 February 2024.
22 ‘Adopting Resolution 2417 (2018), Security Council Strongly Condemns Starving
of Civilians, Unlawfully Denying Humanitarian Access as Warfare Tactics | UN Press’
(press.un.org 24 May 2018) <https://press.un.org/en/2018/sc13354.doc.htm> accessed 14
February 2024.
23 Neil Narang, ‘Assisting Uncertainty: How Humanitarian Aid Can Inadvertently Prolong
Civil War’ (2014) 59 International Studies Quarterly 184.
24 Philippe Lazzarini, ‘We Must Prevent Humanitarian Aid from Being Used as an
Instrument of War’ (Los Angeles Times 9 December 2023) <https://www.latimes.com/
opinion/story/2023-12-09/israel-gaza-hamas-united-nations-humanitarian-relief> accessed
12 December 2023.
law.faculty@kdu.ac.lk
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