Can the ICRC “humanize” the effects of the conflict?
Finally, the question is whether the success of the ICRC’s humanitarian work in individual cases at regional level has a favourable impact on the course of the conflict in Colombia. Can the presence of the ICRC make the civil war less horrific? At first the answer would appear to be “no”. In the last few years the political conflict has spread considerably, with a corresponding increase in violations of international humanitarian law, and the number of civilians killed or displaced has risen. Progress in the humanitarian field has been hampered by the continuing erosion of the social fabric caused by the civil war. The dividing line between political conflict and criminal activity has become blurred. The violence has long since gained a momentum of its own, making political control difficult. For many unemployed young people it has now become an alternative source of income. In practice ICRC action encounters many obstacles which limit progress on humanitarian issues. Through years of
