The International Committee of the Red Cross has defended its first aid training for Taliban fighters after media reports sparked criticism from Afghan officials.
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The Swiss-run ICRC said on Wednesday that it trained “over 70 members of the armed opposition” in first aid last month.
The ICRC also said it provided first aid kits to fighters and civilians living in conflict areas in Afghanistan.
Britain’s Guardian newspaper on Tuesday quoted an unnamed official in Kandahar’s local government as saying the Taliban did “not deserve to be treated like humans”.
An ICRC spokesman, Marçal Izard, told the AP news agency that the training was part of the organisation’s humanitarian mandate under the Geneva Conventions that require all wounded on the battlefield to be treated equally.
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The Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross is a neutral and independent organization whose mission is to protect victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It also directs and coordinates international relief activities in situations of conflict.
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