The ICRC and the Armed Conflict in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This chapter examines the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lankan armed conflict. It surveys and critically evaluates ICRC’s contributions to the development and dissemination of international humanitarian law, humanitarian assistance in the conflict field, its cooperation with the government, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and other humanitarian actors. The chapter also examines the challenges faced by the organization from both the conflicting parties and how the government used the ICRC as a part of its machinery to support their relief activities and to legitimize their actions at the international level.