Christian Cardon

Very positive news to end 2025! Hope this is just a glimpse of what 2026 could be, on many other fronts…🙏🏻

📍 Lebanon | "Families are once again leaving their homes in fear. Evacuation orders and hostilities are forcing people to flee from many areas of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and Bekaa. Across the country, people are simply hoping for the violence to stop so they can return home and rebuild their lives." Sally Aoun, ICRC communicator at @ICRC_lb, shares 👇🏽

📍 Tehran | "Every moment you can expect a loud noise. This has made us so nervous that any loud noise, including the noise of a car passing by, gives us a panic attack." Listen to what a civilian in Tehran shared with us about the situation on the ground 👇🏽

📍Israel | “Constant sirens, constantly running to a safe room or a shelter. The stress and fear have made life here very difficult.” Listen to what a civilian in Tel Aviv shared with us about the situation on the ground 👇🏽

🚨 After two failed rainy seasons, Somalia is on the brink. With 6.5 million people facing acute food insecurity, pastoralist livelihoods are collapsing as livestock die in large numbers. Footage available for media in our newsroom ➡️ ms.spr.ly/6015QePPB

"Widening hostilities across the Middle East are putting civilian lives in grave danger. The scale of major military operations flaring across the Middle East risks embroiling the region – and beyond – into another large-scale armed conflict that will overwhelm any humanitarian response. Without urgent steps to de-escalate the situation and respect the rules of war, further civilian lives will be lost." Mirjana Spoljaric, ICRC president👇🏽

“The military escalation in the Middle East is igniting a dangerous chain reaction across the region, with potentially devastating consequences for civilians.” Mirjana Spoljaric, ICRC president, urges respect for rules of war. Read more 👉🏼 ms.spr.ly/6017QjkAb

For more than 160 years, we, the International Committee of the Red Cross, guided by the Geneva Conventions, have worked to protect lives, reunite families, and bring dignity in the midst of war. Wherever and whenever people need us, we remain.

📍Gaza | We share our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues & friends of Hussein Hasan Hussein Al-Sumairy, who was killed today while providing emergency medical service in Khan Yunis. Medical personnel & humanitarian workers must be able to carry out their work safely.

📍Somalia | Homes abandoned. Livelihoods lost. A way of life disrupted by conflict and worsening drought. More than a year after fighting erupted in Puntland, families are still paying the price. Read more on how we are responding 👉🏾 ms.spr.ly/6017Q8rz3

📍Arauca, Colombia | Our teams at @CICR_co facilitated the release of two people who were held captive by the Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN). This humanitarian operation was carried out with @DefensoriaCol (Colombian Ombudsman’s Office) and the Catholic Church 👇🏽

An alarming humanitarian crisis is brewing in the northeast and civilians are once again paying the heaviest price. Renewed hostilities have forced families to flee in the depths of winter, while also increasing the risk of family separation. Read more: ms.spr.ly/6013QBq5V

According to IHL, there are three obligations regarding missing persons and their families: 👤 Prevent people from going missing 🔎 Clarify their fate & whereabouts 📄 Inform families, investigate & when appropriate, prosecute war crimes causing persons to go missing

📍 DR Congo | After more than a year apart, Mafille is finally reunited with her mother, thanks to the joint efforts of the Red Cross in the DRC and the ICRC. In Ituri, where armed violence continues to force families apart, those separated by conflict can still find their way back to each other ♥️

📍Central African Republic | The humanitarian situation in the south-east of the country is alarming: recent clashes have led to casualties and displaced massive numbers of civilians. Our teams are working with the Central African Red Cross Society to support the displaced communities and wounded patients at Zémio’s secondary hospital. Read more in our operational update 👉🏽 ms.spr.ly/6018t7UXj

📍 Cambodia – Thailand | Today, we supported as a neutral humanitarian observer the release and repatriation of 18 prisoners of war detained in relation to the international armed conflict between Cambodia and Thailand. The release operation enabled prisoners of war to be returned to Cambodia from Thailand. Read more 👉🏽 ms.spr.ly/6015txX4B

When conflict separates families, silence can last for months, sometimes years. In 2024, nearly 90,500 Red Cross Messages were delivered, helping people separated by conflict reconnect with their loved ones when no other means of communication were possible.

Each repatriation of human remains gives families the chance to lay their loved ones to rest with dignity. Today, in our role as a neutral intermediary, we took part in the 60th repatriation since 2022. We remain committed to supporting efforts that help bring closure to families

In #Sudan, meeting basic needs is a daily struggle. We are on the ground in places like Nyala and South Darfur, scaling up our support. The needs are vast, but our commitment is unwavering. @PYoussefICRC, our regional director for Africa, shares more👇🏽

📍#Uvira Nous restons préoccupés par la violence en cours au #SudKivu. Du 2 au 10 décembre, plus de 86 blessés par arme ont été pris en charge à l’Hôpital d’Uvira que nous soutenons. Parmi eux 26 après avoir été évacués par la #CroixRouge. Appel aux parties à préserver les civils