Spain
Practice Relating to Rule 55. Access for Humanitarian Relief to Civilians in Need
Spain’s LOAC Manual (2007) states under the heading “Passage of relief convoys to areas with civilians”:
The free passage of consignments of medical equipment and supplies is subject to the following conditions:
- they are for the exclusive use of the civilian population;
- their distribution can be effectively controlled;
- they do not give the enemy a military advantage.
Spain’s Penal Code (1995), as amended in 2010, states:
Anyone who [commits any of the following acts] during armed conflict shall be punished with three to seven years’ imprisonment:
…
8. Intentionally using starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare, depriving it of indispensable supplies … including by arbitrarily impeding the provision of [humanitarian] assistance, which is carried out in conformity with the [1949] Geneva Conventions and its [1977] Additional Protocols.