Rule 55 of Customary Law states that ‘The parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, which is impartial in character and conducted without any adverse distinction, subject to their right of control.’ And while the rules seems clear, in complex conflict settings there are often challenges to implantation. In this episode, we speak to Jacob Kurtzer, a research fellow with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ Humanitarian Agenda initiative, an initiative that leverages the expertise of CSIS programs to explore complex humanitarian challenges. The primary challenge he’s focusing on is access to aid in complex man-made emergencies. Prior to joining CSIS, Jacob spent seven years with the ICRC, most recently as head of communications for the ICRC Delegation in Israel and the occupied territories and at some point in time, helping to head up the Washington Communications department. Hosted by Niki Clark.