Tsiviilelanikkonna

Tsiviilelanikkonna (Estonian for civilian population) refers to the non‑combatant residents of a state or territory who are not members of the armed forces or organized armed groups. In international humanitarian law, civilians are protected persons who must be distinguished from combatants during armed conflict. This protection covers safety from violence, coercion, and collective punishment, and it guarantees access to humanitarian aid and essential services. Civilian status is determined by function rather than by ethnicity or nationality; individuals who directly participate in hostilities may temporarily lose protection for that period.

In practice, civilian populations can be affected by war through casualties, displacement, damage to homes and critical infrastructure, disruption of livelihoods, and restrictions on movement or access to food, water, and medical care. Urban warfare and sieges, as well as the presence of dual‑use infrastructure, can complicate the application of protection rules and heighten civilian risk.

Legal frameworks: The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols provide protections for civilians in armed conflict and obligate parties to take feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court defines war crimes that include intentional attacks on civilians and the starvation of civilian populations.

Measuring and protecting tsiviilelanikkonna involves humanitarian access, civilian casualty reporting, displacement tracking, and adherence to core principles such as distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.