The ICRC alongside journalists on a perilous mission

Journalists carrying out dangerous missions may require urgent humanitarian assistance, for example when they are arrested, injured or missing.

What is the ICRC's action in favor of journalists in distress?

Journalists are often exposed to serious danger when their reporting takes them to war zones or other areas plagued by armed violence. When one of them is detained, missing, injured or killed, the ICRC press service can respond to questions or requests for assistance from media professionals, but also those of relatives, colleagues or employers. .

To process a request, the ICRC needs to know the name of the professional concerned, their date of birth, a brief description of the incident and the place where it occurred, if known.

For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page as well as our article on IHL resources for media professionals more generally .

What can the ICRC do in the event of the arrest or disappearance of a journalist?

Where circumstances permit, the ICRC may request confirmation that a person has been arrested, captured or otherwise deprived of their liberty (together with information relating thereto) and, where appropriate, assist him or her to restore or maintain contact with his family. It can also try to locate journalists who have been lost or organize evacuations. In the worst-case scenario, he can take care of the transfer of the remains.