The Denial of Humanitarian Assistance as a Crime under International Law

This article seeks to clarify under which circumstances the denial of humanitarian assistance can constitute a crime under international law. Examining whether the denial of humanitarian assistance fits into the definition of existing crimes, three core crimes of international law are considered: war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The study is set in the context of the regained relevance of these crimes with respect to the work of the ad hoc Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Rwanda (ICTR), and the recent adoption of the Statute for an International Criminal Court (ICC).