George Comninos, head of operations for the Middle East and North Africa, said civilians "were paying the highest price for the conflict," and that the attacks fuelled the spiral of violence.

He said that according to local media, over 7,000 civilians had been killed in the months of September and October alone, and over 42,000 families had been displaced since February 2006.

"Regardless of the complexity of the issues at stake in the Iraqi conflict, it is unacceptable and contrary to the most basic principles of humanity and law to target persons not participating in the hostilities," Comninos said.

He said the ICRC was engaged in a wide range of activities in the country, from prison visits to supporting medical and sanitation infrastructure, but that this was "only piecemeal in the face of the immensity of the needs."

"The overall insecurity in the country, the fact that ICRC's presence on the ground, and movements across the country are limited, do not allow the direct and meaningful response to the protection needed by the Iraqi population," he said.

Comninos refused to be drawn on whether the situation could be described as a 'civil war'. Since June 2004, the Red Cross has defined the fighting in Iraq as a "non-international armed conflict", he said.

He said the organisation was in contact with the Iraqi government, US, British and other foreign forces, and "more than a dozen" non-state actors, and called on all parties to do their utmost to protect civilians.

He conceded that it was "far more complex when it comes to the multiplication of non-state actors" in Iraq, than in other conflict zones where the Red Cross operates.