Legal Obligations of Warring Parties (Armed Combatants) to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS) and Refugees during Armed Conflict

Abstract

This paper examines the protection of refugees or IDFs during armed conflict by the warring parties. Refugees are persons’ that run away from their country due to fear of prosecution due to several factors. Asylum seekers also run away from their country due to fear of prosecution but they have obtained the status of refugee while internally displaced persons are person who have moved from their place of origin to another place within their country due to some factors. During armed conflict parties whom are not taking part of the hostilities are protected and are not supposed to be attacked by virtue of international humanitarian law. Such kind of people are referred as civilians. There are various principles which prohibit warring parties from violating them. The armed parties in a conflict must protect the civilians regardless of their origin. Refugees, asylum seekers and IDFs have been classified as part of the civilians hence they are protected and must not be attacked rather they should be protected by the warring parties and be allowed to access the various humanitarian relief without being prevented by the warring pa flies. Civilian objects must not also be protected meaning that refugee or asylum seekers or the 1DPs property must be protected and no to be attacked by the warring parties. Therefore, this paper looks at the obligation bestowed at the Warring parties during aimed conflict by different laws and possible recommendations in case of breaches