UN Warns of Sharp Decline in Adherence to International Humanitarian Law Amid Global Conflicts

UN Warns of Sharp Decline in Adherence to International Humanitarian Law Amid Global Conflicts
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The United Nations has warned of a serious erosion in global respect for international humanitarian law as conflicts intensify across several regions. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Monday, October 6, that ongoing atrocities in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar reflect a “deliberate abandonment of basic human values and norms.”

Grandi stated that the scale of killings and destruction in these conflict zones represents “a renunciation of principles in the name of violent power,” with crimes being committed under total impunity by both state and non-state actors. He noted that civilians are being killed while waiting for food, shelters are being bombed, and hospitals and schools are destroyed—acts that violate the core rules and ethics of war.

The commissioner warned that warring parties around the world no longer feel bound to abide by international humanitarian law, or even pretend to respect it. Instead, he said, warfare and indiscriminate violence are increasingly portrayed as legitimate means to achieve political or military goals. “The daily repetition of atrocities,” he cautioned, “is numbing humanity’s conscience and leaving the world powerless.” Grandi highlighted that the global number of refugees and displaced people has nearly doubled since 2015, reaching about 122 million.

He said restrictive government policies aimed at curbing refugee flows have largely failed and have even fueled calls to reconsider—or abolish—the 1951 Refugee Convention. The commissioner reaffirmed that the convention obliges states to protect anyone fleeing war, persecution, or violence, while ensuring that those who do not meet the criteria are returned to their home countries in a safe and dignified manner. He also expressed concern over increasingly harsh asylum and deportation policies in parts of Europe and the United States, warning that such measures often conflict with international humanitarian obligations.

Regarding Syria, Grandi said nearly half of the country’s population remains displaced, although more than one million refugees have returned home in recent years. He urged the international community to support sustainable returns and strengthen host countries by providing refugees with access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities, stressing that “investing in refugees benefits both them and their host communities.”