UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Tuesday expressed concern over the deepening impact the conflict in the Middle East is having on the civilian population in the region. He also warned of the dangers of an apparent “dynamic of retribution” between warring partiesreports TASR according to the AFP agency.
On February 28, the conflict sparked a US-Israeli air strike on Iran, which responded with retaliatory strikes across the region. Türk condemned the large-scale attacks on residential areas, medical facilities, schools, cultural monuments and water and energy infrastructure.
“This apparent dynamic of retaliation … will only increase the risk to the civilian population at large, with potentially dire consequences for the entire region,” he warned in a statement. “Under the laws of war, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all costs… All parties are bound by these rules and must be held accountable if they fail to follow them,” emphasized Türk.
He pointed in particular to strikes on a desalination plant and fuel facilities in Iran over the weekend, which they caused fires and allegedly disrupted access to water for dozens of municipalities. There is also a threat of acid rain, which can cause chemical burns and serious lung damage, adds AFP.
“The foreseeable effects of these strikes on the civilian population and the environment raise serious questions about the compliance of these attacks with the requirements of international humanitarian law… This requires a thorough legal review,” pointed out Türk. In the opinion, he emphasized the wider impact of this war, such as the decline in commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which will ultimately affect the world’s most vulnerable people the most.
Türk also expressed concern about reports of arrests, accusations and other forms of repression and intimidation of people in several countries for expressing their views on the conflict in the Middle East. The commissioner demanded that all those arbitrarily detained be immediately and unconditionally released.
