In 2017, a battle raged in Mosul, as Iraqi armed forces and their international supporters fought to dislodge Islamic State fighters from the city. Almost 2 million people—half of Mosul’s population--fled from the fighting. During the battle, over 9000 civilians were killed and more than 130,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. In the latest episode, we hear from the staff at one of the hospitals decimated by the fighting. Then we turn to our team in Mosul and ask: How do largely populated cities like Mosul, after so much destruction and human tragedy, carry on after the conflict ends? See bon ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast we chat with Fabrizio Carboni, who has spent the last year as ICRC's Head of Delegation in Myanmar. More than a million people have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh due to violence since the end of August 2017. Peter Maurer, ICRC’s President, recently visited both sides of the border there and called it a "lose-lose situation for people." We did a Q&A on Intercross the blog with Fabrizio back in December on the crisis and in this conversation we discuss updates on operations, the critical challenges of monsoon season, the work that ICRC is doing on the g ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down Patricia Danzi, ICRC's Regional Director for Africa. More than 40% of ICRC operations are on the continent, including the geographical focuses of the Lake Chad region, South Sudan, Somalia, Central Africa Republic, Mali and Libya. We chat operations and challenges, displacement and migration and environmental impact on both, emotional wounds of war, innovation and more. Hosted by Niki Clark and Sara Owens ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Christophe Hambye, head of ICRC’s logistics division. Running logistics is a complicated endeavor even when it’s in the best of situations but Christophe and his team are working in some of the world’s most challenging contexts. We chat about what are some of the humanitarian logistical challenges, how to stay ahead and prepared in a world of uncertainty and what the future of logistics looks like for ICRC. Hosted by Sara Owens ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Charlotte Lindsey, ICRC’s current Director of Communication and Information Management. In July, Charlotte will begin a new position as ICRC’s first ever Director of Data & Digital Transformation. We chat about what digital transformation means, how innovation plays a role in humanitarian aid, the evolving challenges facing women in war and personal reflections on her more than 25 years with ICRC. Hosted by Niki Clark ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Alexandre Faite, the outgoing head of delegation in Yemen and guest policy host Trevor Keck. Yemen is the 4th largest ICRC operation in the world, with a budget of nearly $120 million CHF. We discuss the deteriorating situation on the ground, including food insecurity, the fuel crisis and the disrepair of the national health system. We also talk about the ICRC’s role in responding to the humanitarian situation, our global policy asks and Alexandre’s personal reflections following two years in Yemen. Hosted by Trevor Keck ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Christoph Harnisch, head of delegation in Bogata, Colombia. He’s been with the ICRC for more than 33 years, including time spent in Africa, Middle East, Central America, and currently Colombia where he has been since August 2014. We previously had Christoph on our podcast in May of last year, about six months after the peace agreement was first signed. In our conversation, we discuss what has changed, the challenges of implementing the peace agreement, insecurity in some of the most remote areas of the country, the plight of missing p ..read more

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, OUR 50TH, we sit down Vincent Bernard, the editor in chief of the International Review of the Red Cross, a leading academic journal on humanitarian law, policy and action published by the ICRC and Cambridge University Press. The International Review was first established nearly 150 years ago. We discuss how issues and concerns surrounding warfare and international humanitarian law have evolved in that time (Spoiler: people have always feared technology; except in 1869 it was the impact of the telegraph!) and how the Geneva Conventions continue to rema ..read more

While media images showed the initial destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam leaving thousands of homes underwater and civilians without electricity or clean drinking water, it wasn’t able to show the unexploded ordnances lurking under the surface, affecting untold numbers of people. Today go to the Kherson Region, which has been heavily impacted unexploded ordnances, and hear from civilians and a Ukrainian Red Cross worker on the ground about how the contamination of landmines has frozen every day life. Then we turn to an interview with the Head of Weapons Contamination in Kyiv, Andy Duncan, to ..read more

Today, we have an archived episode for you from last year called “Inside the Central Tracing Agency.” It’s a 150-year-old division of the ICRC that today is a crucial resource for families searching for loved ones gone missing due to conflict, violence, natural disasters, or along the migration route.  We hope to be back in the New Year with all new episodes for you. So stayed tuned and enjoy! See bonus materials and additional information on our website. Subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss an episode.  Follow us on X.com @ICRC_dc         ..read more