Protecting humanitarians and journalists in conflict zones

The protection of humanitarians and journalists in conflict zonesHumanitarians and journalists are field workers who are mobilised whenever armed conflicts break out and populations are, unfortunately, left to fend for themselves. The specific nature of their missions and the dangerous nature of the areas in which they work have given them greater importance in international law. It is for this reason that international law has developed a framework for the legal protection of humanitarian aid workers and journalists, in particular through two of its branches, international humanitarian law and international criminal law. The result is protection through the binding texts of international humanitarian law, as well as protection through the judicial repression of violations of these texts thanks to the rules of international criminal law. On paper, this is a perfect balance, but the courts are slow to apply it, mainly because of a lack of attention or even interest in the legal protection of humanitarian aid workers and journalists.