Every day, on the front lines of the world’s most devastating crises, our teams witness the catastrophic consequences when the sanctity of health care is compromised. Of the hospitals are reduced to ruins, ambulances face delays and obstructions, and doctors, nurses and patients are too often caught in attacks resulting in death and injury. Patients die from treatable injuries, women are sometimes forced to give birth without adequate care, and entire communities lose access to vital services. When health care is no longer safe, it is often the clearest warning sign that rules and standards intended to limit harm war damage collapse. When hospitals and those who provide care are attacked, we not only face a humanitarian crisisbut to a crisis of humanity.Â
States and all parties to conflits armés must comply with the rules protecting health care. The obligation, under the international humanitarian law (IHL)of “respect and ensure respect… in all circumstances” requires states not only to respect these rules themselves, but also to use all possible influence to ensure that other states and parties to the conflict do the same.
