* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
If you destroy a health facility, you take away a lifeline for whole communities. Even wars have limits
Aleppo, a beautiful, historic city that has been divided and ravaged by conflict, has been hit by a barrage of violence in the last two weeks. All over the city, mortars, shelling and gunfire could be heard.
The Red Cross supported Al Quds hospital in eastern Aleppo city was obliterated. This was a facility so used to conflict that during previous attacks the medical staff would run to the ground floor of the hospital carrying babies’ incubators in order to protect them. No more. If this was not enough, days later a maternity ward in another clinic suffered a direct hit.
These attacks are not coincidences. By removing a doctor, or a nurse – whether by killing them, threatening them, preventing them from doing their work – you take away health care for thousands of patients. If you destroy a health facility, you take away a lifeline for whole communities of men, women, children. It is a sad reality in many war-torn countries that if you are not killed by shelling or fighting, you could die because there is no dialysis equipment, or diabetes medicine, or antibiotics.
Hospitals are not strategic targets. They are not collateral damage. International humanitarian law specifically protects medical personnel, facilities and transport. It is no coincidence that the very first Geneva Convention in 1864 pertained to the amelioration of the condition of the sick and wounded in battle.
Sunday 8 May is World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, and the anniversary of the birth of our founder, Henri Dunant. Dunant created the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement after witnessing the suffering of thousands of men left injured, waiting to die in the aftermath of battle. What would he see today?
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have monitored attacks on health care in 11 countries over three years. In this time, there have been 2,400 attacks on patients, health personnel, facilities and transport. That’s more than two attacks per day, every day, for three years, in those 11 countries alone.
Even wars have limits. Without them, there would be war without end. It is not enough to be outraged by these blatant violations of international humanitarian law. It is heartening that we have not yet become desensitised and there has been global outcry. But there must also be action.
This week, following appeals from the ICRC and MSF, the UN backed a resolution condemning attacks on health workers in war zones. Later this month the UN will also convene the World Humanitarian Summit, discussing among other topics respect for the rules of war.
We must see a true commitment to respecting and enforcing these rules – whether that is through reinforcement through countries’ own legislation, education of fighting groups, or addressing violations.
Right now, the world is witnessing the highest level of human suffering since the Second World War. Let’s ensure those who risk their lives to help others in their most dire moment of need do not themselves become casualties.
