Prince of Asturias Awards 1981–2014. Speeches

4 O viedo | C ampoamor T heatre | 26 th O ctober 2012 In Pakistan, Yemen and Syria, to mention just a few places, we have suffered losses that are tragic for two reasons. First, because talented and selfless persons were taken fromus far too soon. And second, because hundreds, perhaps thousands of people are now left without help as a result of these tragic losses. I therefore call upon all armed forces and all armed groups, politicians and local leaders to allow not only Red Cross and Red Crescent workers, but everyone seeking to alleviate human suffering in an impartial manner, to perform their tasks in safety. In particular, local nurses, paramedics and doctors must be allowed to carry out their neutral and impartial work free from pressure and free from attacks. That is what is required to preserve some measure of humanity when disaster strikes. Peter Maurer, on behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross — Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation 2012 Excerpt from the speech given on the occasion of receiving the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation on 26/10/2012.