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What does civil defence consist of? decontamination and similar and under its control. It provides this
protective measures; protection on condition that all the
Civil defence is defined in provision of emergency adverse parties concerned are
international humanitarian law accommodation and supplies; notified of this fact (Art. 64). The
according to the tasks carried out emergency assistance in the same applies to international
rather than the organizations that restoration and maintenance of organizations, such as the
carry out those tasks. order in distressed areas; International Civil defence
emergency repair of Organization (ICDO), that coordinate
Thus, Protocol I (Art. 61) provides a indispensable public utilities; the civil defence work of the above-
list of "humanitarian tasks" to be emergency disposal of the dead; mentioned organizations.
performed for the following purposes: assistance in the preservation of
objects essential for survival; Members of the armed forces and
to protect the civilian population complementary activities needed military units may also carry out civil
against the dangers arising from to carry out any of the tasks defence tasks. However, they are
hostilities or other disasters; mentioned above. protected only if they are permanently
to help it to recover from the and exclusively assigned to those
immediate effects of such events; Who carries out tasks and if they meet the
to provide the conditions civil defence tasks? requirements set out below.
necessary for its survival.
The provisions of Protocol I cover the How are civilian civil defence
The list is limited to the 15 following civil defence organizations set up by personnel protected?
tasks: the State, their personnel and any
civilians called upon by the State to General protection
warning; carry out civil defence tasks under its
evacuation; control. Those individuals are Civilians engaged in civil defence
management of shelters; protected to the extend that they are work must be respected and
management of blackout assigned exclusively to one of the protected. They are entitled to carry
measures; above-mentioned "humanitarian out the civil defence tasks except in
rescue; tasks", even if only temporarily. case of imperative military necessity
medical services including first (Art. 62, para. 1). This supplements
aid and religious assistance; Protocol I also protects the personnel the general protection of the civilian
fire-fighting; of civilian civil defence organizations population provided by Article 51 of
Protocol I, under which civilians may
detection and marking of danger of neutral or other States not engaged
in the conflict who perform civil not be the object of attack.
areas;
defence tasks on the territory of a
warring party with the latter's consent