“Inter arma caritas”: charity in the midst of war. However dated, the Red Cross motto still guides this organisation. There is another constant in war, one that goes back long before the Battle of Solferino: its toll on civilians. In this section, we traditionally publish long-form or topical reports from photographers, providing a glimpse from the eyes of these essential witnesses. But what do the two wars going on in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip show us? Images of destruction so similar that you can’t always tell whether you’re in Europe or the Middle East. A litany of disasters, clichés and figures that almost make borders and populations disappear. For this issue, we have chosen to publish just two photos that speak volumes about the fate of these populations. Inter arma, civilians: civilians in the midst of combat.
LVIV, UKRAINE – DECEMBER 29: An injured resident with a disability sits in the yard of a residential building following a Russian missile strike on December 29, 2023 in Lviv, Ukraine. Russia launched a mass missile attack on Ukraine’s cities, hitting residential buildings, infrastructure and industrial facilities. There are dead and injured. (Photo by Oleksandr Hryvul/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)RAFAH, GAZA – JANUARY 23: Displaced Palestinians keep warm by a fire near their tent on January 23, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. The toll since the Oct. 7 war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas now exceeds 25,000 dead and 62,000 injured, according to the territory’s health ministry. Two-thirds of the victims are believed to be women and children. The United Nations estimates for its part that more than 18,000 Palestinian children have lost a parent. With 25 per cent of the population, or more than half a million people, are in a situation of “food catastrophe” and threatened with famine. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images via AFP)
Support Humanitarian Alternatives
Was this article useful and did you like it? Support our publication!
All of the publications on this site are freely accessible because our work is made possible in large part by the generosity of a group of financial partners. However, any additional support from our readers is greatly appreciated! It should enable us to further innovate, deepen the review’s content, expand its outreach, and provide the entire humanitarian sector with a bilingual international publication that addresses major humanitarian issues from an independent and quality-conscious standpoint. You can support our work by subscribing to the printed review, purchasing single issues or making a donation. We hope to see you on our online store! To support us with other actions and keep our research and debate community in great shape, click here!
To improve your experience with this site, we use technologies such as cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Failure to consent or withdrawal of consent may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est strictement nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de permettre l’utilisation d’un service spécifique explicitement demandé par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur, ou dans le seul but d’effectuer la transmission d’une communication sur un réseau de communications électroniques.
Preferences
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire dans la finalité d’intérêt légitime de stocker des préférences qui ne sont pas demandées par l’abonné ou l’utilisateur.
Statistics
Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement à des fins statistiques.Le stockage ou l’accès technique qui est utilisé exclusivement dans des finalités statistiques anonymes. En l’absence d’une assignation à comparaître, d’une conformité volontaire de la part de votre fournisseur d’accès à internet ou d’enregistrements supplémentaires provenant d’une tierce partie, les informations stockées ou extraites à cette seule fin ne peuvent généralement pas être utilisées pour vous identifier.
Marketing
Le stockage ou l’accès technique est nécessaire pour créer des profils d’utilisateurs afin d’envoyer des publicités, ou pour suivre l’utilisateur sur un site web ou sur plusieurs sites web ayant des finalités marketing similaires.
