Conflict

Clashes Strain Health Services in Libya's South

Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Clashes and insecurity in southern Libya are putting pressure on over-stretched health facilities as the government declares a state of emergency in the southern Fezzan region. The fighting has led to at least 39 deaths, with 70 people injured, in the regional capital Sabha over the past 12 days. Residents fear the limited presence of the state in the sparsely populated south and the lack of a strong national army are leaving them exposed.

Fighting Halts Polio Vaccination in Northern Syria

Monday, January 13, 2014
Heavy fighting has prevented health workers from getting polio vaccine to an estimated 100,000 Syrian children in the northeastern province of Raqqa, United Nations aid agencies said on Monday, appealing for access. The crippling infectious disease was confirmed in 17 children in Syria in October, the first outbreak there since 1999.

Somalia: Militants Ambush Medical Convoy, Killing 6

Thursday, December 19, 2013
Suspected armed Islamic militants Wednesday ambushed a convoy carrying doctors near the Somalian capital, killing six people, three of them Syrian doctors in the country giving medical assistance, officials said Wednesday. Capt. Mohamed Hussein, a senior Somalian police commander, said the convoy came under attack in a semi-forested area outside Mogadishu, while on the way to give medical help to patients at a hospital.

Protecting Health-Care and Education Facilities during the Upcoming Electoral Process

Monday, December 16, 2013
Report from the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR): In the preparation for the upcoming elections of the spring 2014, the government of Afghanistan announced that some health facilities and schools had been designated as registration centers for the population and as polling stations. First and foremost ACBAR members acknowledge that the upcoming election process is a civilian political process, thus non-military, and therefore shouldn’t be targeted under International Humanitarian Law.

Call to Action from the Bellagio Conference on Protection of Health Workers, Patients, and Facilities in Times of Violence

Wednesday, December 18, 2013
From November 19-21, the Center for Public Health and Human Rights of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health convened 19 experts from the fields of humanitarian practice, human rights, human security, academic research, government, and philanthropy, along with UN representatives and leaders from health professional associations, to address the grave problem of attacks on and interference with health care, particularly in times of armed conflict and internal disturbances.

Protecting Health-Care Workers in the Firing Line

Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Several medical associations and non-governmental organisations have launched an initiative to tackle violence against aid workers in conflict zones. Priya Shetty reports. “In Syria, having a medical kit visible on your car seat can be more dangerous than having a Kalashnikov”, says Bruce Eshaya-Chauvin, medical adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “Health-care workers in conflict zones are literally being hunted down.”

With Violence Gripping Central African Republic, International Medical Corps Team Remains on the Ground and Prepares for Rising Humanitarian Needs

Monday, December 9, 2013
Government and armed rebel forces in the Central African Republic’s (CAR) capital of Bangui have continued to engage in conflict since December 5, with civilians caught in the crossfire—nearly 400 have been killed since Thursday. Having operated in CAR since 2007, International Medical Corps’ local teams are monitoring ongoing developments and are responding to the escalating humanitarian crisis by delivering vital health care services.

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