On the morning of February 24, Russian forces invaded Ukraine ending diplomatic efforts to resolve post-Cold War disagreements between NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) members and Russia, the superpower built from the remnants of the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). [1] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has confirmed 925 casualties as of March 17 and proposed that the real number could be higher. [2] The conflict has prompted a massive refugee crisis in Europe, with nearly 3.4 million people having fled the war, over 2 million of whom have taken shelter in Poland. [3] This has prompted the Council of the European Union to implement a temporary protection for refugees and asylum seekers fleeing from the war by augmenting “[residence rights], access to the labour market and housing, medical assistance, and access to education for children.” [4] The World Economic Forum estimates that 16 million people will be in need of humanitarian assistance as a result of the conflict, [5] and the UN Security Council has repeatedly raised concerns about the blockage of emergency relief channels that would lead to a worsening of the humanitarian crisis. [6] Amid the rapidly increasing number of military and civilian casualties, families’ time-sensitive need for humanitarian assistance, and the destruction of crucial infrastructure and health services, the relevance of international humanitarian law as well as its protection and punishments are of timely importance.

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