GENEVA, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Those suffering from conflict and war must have their human rights protected, a Chinese diplomat said here on Wednesday.

Currently, 168 million people around the world urgently need humanitarian assistance, 70 million people are displaced, and 24 million children in conflict areas cannot attend school, said Liu Hua, special representative for human rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, during a dialogue at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.

"These human rights deficits need to be resolved. Without peace, there will be no human rights, and human rights including the right to development, will be difficult to realize," she said during the interactive dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.

The Chinese diplomat said that armed conflicts and terrorist activities continue to grow, and several prolonged conflicts have not been resolved for decades.

Liu said resolving conflicts is the only way to protect human rights.

All parties should abide by the principles of the UN Charter, seek dialogue and consultation on an equal footing, avoid the use of force and promote development, she noted.