In 2025 alone, over 1,300 attacks on medical facilities have been recorded worldwide, resulting in the deaths of 1,981 victims. The World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) denounced the “failure” of the international community on May 3.
Examples abound: hospitals have been bombed in Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Ukraine; a hospital in Myanmar was targeted by drone attacks; clearly marked ambulances in Cameroon, Haiti, and Lebanon have been attacked. While “infrastructure, transportation, and healthcare personnel” are explicitly targeted in war and genocide zones, global leaders continue with “empty words.”
“It’s not a failure of law but of political will,” emphasized the three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in a joint statement. The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2286 ten years ago, condemning attacks and threats against the wounded, sick, medical personnel, hospitals, and other medical facilities.
“Today, the situation is even worse than ten years ago,” warned WHO, MSF, and ICRC. They do not celebrate success; they acknowledge failure. The stakes are high. In 2025, MSF teams in Sudan conducted nearly 850,000 outpatient consultations, treated around 95,600 patients in hospitals, and facilitated around 29,000 deliveries. In Gaza, the organization handled 913,000 outpatient consultations and treated 54,000 patients. In Ukraine, “MSF ambulances referred 10,700 patients, of which 60% suffered from war-related injuries.”
The three organizations are adamant that the situation’s root cause is not in doubt: “This is not a failure of law but of political will.” That’s why the leaders of ICRC, WHO, and MSF have decided to join “other members of the international community in a urgent call to action.”
The goal is to call on governments to “take action and show the necessary political will to end this violence.” MSF, ICRC, and WHO hope that protection will be extended to healthcare infrastructure, while “quick, transparent, and impartial investigations” must be conducted when there are attacks.
“State actors are responsible for the vast majority, around 85%, of incidents affecting healthcare services,” emphasized Michael Keeffe, ICRC advisor on healthcare protection, a few days earlier. These actors have the means to prevent further human losses.
[Context: The article discusses the rise in attacks on medical facilities worldwide and the response from major organizations like WHO, MSF, and ICRC.] [Fact Check: The content mentions specific numbers related to attacks and responses by MSF in countries like Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine.]
