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Yemen: ICRC Calls for Unimpeded Delivery of Medical Supplies as Heavy Conflict Persists

Tuesday, March 31, 2015
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday called for the urgent removal of obstacles to the delivery to Yemen of vital medical supplies needed to treat casualties from a week of deadly clashes and air strikes. A shipment of ICRC medical supplies sufficient to treat from 700 to 1,000 people was due to arrive by plane on Tuesday for distribution to hospitals across the country that are running low on the means to treat the war wounded. So far, efforts to negotiate the safe arrival of the plane have not been successful.

Yemen: Badly Needed Medical Supplies and Health Personnel Unable to Reach Conflict Affected Areas of Yemen

Tuesday, March 31, 2015
More medical supplies and trained health personnel are urgently needed in Yemen as the violence there escalates, but bringing in this essential support is currently impossible, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said. “MSF is currently unable to deploy additional emergency medical staff to Yemen, where they are badly needed,” said Dr Greg Elder, MSF Director of Operations. “We urgently need to find ways to get humanitarian relief and personnel inside the country.”

Central African Republic Health Emergency at a Crossroads: Help Needed Now

Wednesday, March 25, 2015
While there have been slight improvements in the security situation in parts of the Central African Republic (CAR), the country is still in the grips of a major health crisis, following years of conflict and under-development. Only 55% of health facilities in the country are functioning, and most rely on support from non-governmental organizations and UN agencies like WHO.

Polio Workers' Safety

Sunday, March 22, 2015
We are living in a nuclear state which has developed ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, trainer/fighter aircraft, tanks, and armed drones. But we are unable to ensure immunity for our future generations from crippling and potentially fatal diseases such as polio. It is not as difficult as it appears. When we know that polio teams are a soft target, we can devise a simple methodology to reduce the threat and keep the teams secure.

Syria field post: 'I had to do procedures I'd never seen. YouTube helped a lot'

Monday, March 16, 2015
A Syrian doctor and hospital director working in Damascus talks about his daily life as the conflict enters its fifth year. "I live in a small room in the hospital. It’s about three metres square, and has a small bathroom and sink. I live there with my wife. We are at the hospital 24/7. My wife teaches in the attached school, and I work in the hospital 24 hours a day. Sometimes I rest or sleep, but if someone needs surgery, I go and work."

Chicago Doctors Risk Arrest, Torture to Aid Dire Medical Care Void in Syria

Thursday, March 12, 2015
A humanitarian report to be released Thursday addresses the dire medical situation in Syria and reports how doctors from all over the world—including here in Chicago—are being arrested and tortured simply for trying to save lives. “This is my fifth visit into Aleppo which is considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world, especially for healthcare workers,” said Chicago-area critical care specialist Dr. Zaher Sahloul.

Doctors in the Crosshairs: Four Years of Attacks on Health Care in Syria

Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Four years after the start of the civil war in Syria, deliberate and indiscriminate attacks have decimated the ranks of health professionals and devastated the medical infrastructure, exacerbating an acute humanitarian crisis, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) said in a report released today. The PHR report and interactive map tracking these violations document the unlawful killing of 610 medical personnel and 233 illegal attacks on 183 medical facilities throughout the country over the past four years.

New Report: "Syrian Medical Voices from the Ground"

Tuesday, March 3, 2015
“Working in a field hospital is like death,” said a Syrian general practitioner from Idlib, describing medical practice while under assault from barrel bombs and other attacks. Another doctor from Aleppo recounted, “I cannot forget the sight of amputated limbs, severed heads, and horrible cranial injuries.” These experiences are universal among Syrian health workers, as shown in the new report Syrian Medical Voices from the Ground: The Ordeal of Syria's Healthcare Professionals.

Lessons in Post-Conflict Recovery: Developing a Health Workforce in Afghanistan and South Sudan

Friday, February 27, 2015
The key element of any health system is the people who run it. Nowhere is this more true than in countries in the midst of, or recovering from, conflict. Indirect or direct threats faced by health workers exacerbate a population’s challenges in seeking and receiving health care. In conflict settings, health workers may be forced to flee to safe havens as refugees, internally displaced people, or leave the country as migrants—if they have the means to do so.

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