‘Protecting cultural heritage during an armed conflict is challenging, and, at times, proves to be life threatening. Yet communities trapped in war zones valiantly try to save their cultural heritage, as it provides a sense of continuity amid turmoil and uncertainty. A striking example of a community led rescue of cultural heritage is the successful evacuation of the privately held manuscript collections from Timbuktu during the conflict that broke out in northern Mali in 2013. This handbook is the result of insights gained from similar on-the-ground experiences collected through ICCROM’s capacity building initiative on First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis. It provides step-by-step guidance for evacuating cultural collections under extreme conditions. It is meant to assist those communities and institutions, which are trying to prevent the destruction and looting of cultural objects during a crisis situation. It can be used to train others and to improve emergency preparedness at cultural sites….’
