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https://theconversation.com/nz-aid-worker-remains-missing-in-ukraine-the-tragedy-of-people-motivated-to-help-in-war-zones-becoming-victims-themselves-197804>
"The humanitarian aid worker Andrew Bagshaw, who has dual New Zealand and
British citizenship, has been missing in Ukraine for more than ten days.
Bagshaw and his British colleague Christopher Parry worked as part of a team of
Ukrainian and international volunteers delivering aid and carrying out
evacuations of civilians, often under fire from Russian forces. They have not
been seen since January 6, when they left the city of Kramatorsk for Soledar,
in eastern Ukraine, which has since been claimed by the Russian mercenary
company Wagner.
Humanitarian volunteers often represent the best of us. They are driven to put
themselves at personal risk with little financial reward to reduce human
suffering and the impacts of conflicts. Their ethical justifications for
entering dangerous locations, despite clear warnings from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs not to travel to Ukraine, are often exemplary.
But aid workers are at high risk. During the past two decades, intentional
attacks on aid or humanitarian workers have become a disturbing trend, often
perpetrated to drive outside influences away from war zones and fully isolate
populations.
It is a war crime to intentionally attack aid workers. Some, such as personnel
working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United
Nations, have considerably more rights than others.
Despite this division, all aid workers are covered by basic rules. The problem
is that international humanitarian law is not based on the ethics of why
someone is in a war zone. This is especially the case if they are foreigners."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
