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ICRC visited 500,928 detainees in 2010 in the world, 30,674 of whom were monitored individually

27 May 2011 08:31 (UTC +04:00)

This was partly owing to a large-scale emergency relief operation in northern Mali and Niger, benefiting some 300,000 people suffering from drought in regions experiencing significant security problems and various forms of violence.

Overall, the ICRC distributed food to over 4.9 million people around the world in 2010, up from 4.07 million assisted in 2009. Over 3.2 million people benefited from sustainable food production programs or micro-economic initiatives. ICRC water, sanitation and construction activities helped some 10 million people.

Medical and other health-related activities continued to be a fundamental feature of ICRC operations in 2010, benefiting some 5.2 million people around the world. The number of war casualties treated in the ICRC-supported Mirwais regional hospital in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province hit record highs during the year. In Somalia, the number of war-wounded patients in ICRC-supported hospitals in Mogadishu also increased sharply.

The ICRC also visited 500,928 detainees in 2010, 30,674 of whom were monitored individually, in 1,783 places of detention. The aim of such visits is to ensure respect for the dignity of the detainees and to prevent torture or other ill-treatment or abuse. It is also to ensure that conditions of detention are decent and that detainees have the possibility of exchanging news with their families, as required by international humanitarian law.