ICRC

Geneva (ICRC) – On the occasion of World Health Day, 7 April, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is issuing a report on "Violent incidents affecting the delivery of health care," based on a large number of recorded cases, to raise awareness of attacks on people seeking or providing health care.

Hundreds of thousands of people living in worn-torn countries are affected by attacks on medics, the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) said. The comments come ahead of a meeting of leading medics and humanitarian organisations which aims to establish practical ways to protect healthcare workers in conflict. The meeting, which is hosted by the RSM, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the British Red Cross, hopes to examine measures to protect health workers so they can safely deliver care in war zones.

A new report, entitled “Ambulance and pre-hospital services in risk situations,” sets out ways to make pre-hospital care and ambulance services operating in areas of armed violence safer. The report was unveiled today at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent statutory meetings in Sydney, Australia.

The International Committee of the Red Cross presents this event, which includes a briefing by Pierre Gentile, Head of Unit for Protection of Civilian Populations, on ICRC’s Health Care in Danger initiative. Increasing attacks on health care workers have impacted millions of people worldwide.

The law says hospitals, ambulances and health-care workers must be protected and should never be targeted as they carry out their regular duties. This is often far from the reality. Worldwide, the lack of safe access to health care is causing untold suffering to millions of people. Through the voices of doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers and patients, this film shows the human cost of violence against health-care workers and facilities.