The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) are calling for stronger protection of healthcare during armed conflicts.
During a webinar on healthcare under attack, ICRC Legal Adviser Supriya Rao said international humanitarian law provides specific protection for medical personnel, hospitals and ambulances. She stressed that hospitals are generally protected and that circumstances in which they can lose that protection are narrow and exceptional.
MSF’s Reem Mougheith said healthcare workers and facilities continue to face risks in conflict-affected areas despite UN Security Council Resolution 2286. She cited attacks and disruptions affecting healthcare services in places including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Sudan and Gaza.
Mougheith called for meaningful accountability and independent investigations into attacks, stressing that parties to conflicts must respect the protection of medical missions and allow healthcare workers and patients to safely access essential services.
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