Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Iraq, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan were among the many countries in which countless women, men and children had their lives torn apart by armed conflicts in 2007. The ICRC worked relentlessly to bring protection and assistance to these vulnerable people, its sole aim being to meet their most urgent needs without discrimination.
In 2007, direct attacks on civilian communities, general insecurity and the destruction of livelihoods forced innumerable civilians to flee their homes. Assisting and protecting internally displaced people (IDPs), who are protected under international humanitarian law (IHL), remained one of the ICRC’s priorities throughout the year.