Red Cross warns of 'growing' risk of nuclear weapons, urges ban

The Red Cross called Friday for a total ban on nuclear weapons, warning of the growing risk that such arms could again be used with devastating effect.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched a global campaign to raise awareness about the rising nuclear threat facing the world.

In a joint statement, they said some nuclear-armed states were straying from their "long-standing nuclear disarmament obligations" and were "upgrading their arsenals, developing new kinds of nuclear weapons and making them easier to use."
"Any risk of nuclear weapons use is unacceptable," ICRC President Peter Maurer said in the statement, stressing that the TPNW "represents a beacon of hope and an essential measure to reduce the risk of a nuclear catastrophe."