Humanitarian personnel and facilities are #NotATarget

17 May 2022
On World Humanitarian Day 2017, WHO recognizes the critical and often dangerous humanitarian work of health professionals delivering services to those most in need. It also demands that all parties in conflicts respect the safety and neutrality of health workers and health facilities. Making health care a deliberate target is a major violation of international law that shows a tragic disregard for our common humanity.

In the European Region, WHO supports humanitarian health efforts from its offices in Turkey, responding to both the Syrian crisis in the northern part of the country and to the crisis in Ukraine. In both areas, health personnel and facilities too often become targets in the conflict.

Humanitarian personnel and facilities are #NotATarget... 1

“I am a doctor, I am #NotATarget”, says this health worker from northern Syria. From Turkey, WHO/Europe and its health partners provide health services to populations in northern Syria, such as children vaccination or the delivery of lifesaving medical supplies through cross-border operations.

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“I am a nurse, I am #NotATarget” , says this health worker from northern Syria. In the first half of 2017 alone, 18 health care workers were killed and more than 30 injured in 62 verified attacks on health care facilities, which affected more than 30 hospitals.

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“I am a nurse, I vaccinate children #NotATarget”, says this health worker from northern Syria. Attacks on health care are one of the major causes of the disruption to the delivery of health service in Syria. Under the leadership of WHO, the health partners in Turkey track the impact of attacks on health care providers and service delivery infrastructures in northern Syria.

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“I am a doctor, I treat people who need us #NotATarget” , says this health worker from northern Syria. The ceasefire in January 2017 did not completely stop attacks on health care in Syria, which since then, increased monthly and peaked in April 2017.

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Hand in Hand for Syria health staff support the World Humanitarian Day 2017 campaign #NotATarget. Hand in Hand for Syria is one of the NGO partners providing humanitarian health assistance to northern Syria.

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Humanitarian health workers are #NotATarget. A substantial proportion of hospitals in eastern Ukraine report insufficient stocks of medicines. Ongoing hostilities limit the delivery of medical supplies by humanitarian assistance, leaving people affected by the conflict without adequate health care.

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Humanitarian health workers are #NotATarget. WHO staff provide health information to a family in a conflict-affected area of eastern Ukraine, where health care services have been disrupted. After three years of conflict, damages to health facilities caused by shelling seriously limit access to critical health care.

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Mobile medical teams are #NotATarget. Mykola, 64 years old, lived in a conflict-affected area of eastern Ukraine and is now internally displaced. After medical examination by a mobile medical team, supported by WHO, he was referred to a secondary health care facility. Mobile medical teams are often the only source of health care for many people living in conflict-affected areas, but security concerns and difficult access further hinder the delivery of health care by humanitarian workers.

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Mobile emergency primary units are #NotATarget. In conflict-affected areas of eastern Ukraine, WHO and partners have been delivering essential health services through mobile emergency primary health care units and emergency primary health care posts for infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases.

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Mobile medical teams are #NotATarget. Halyna, 70 years, lives in a conflict-affected village in eastern Ukraine and suffers from heart disease. The services provided by WHO and partners' mobile units have been her only access to health care.

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Health facilities are #NotATarget. After three years of conflict in eastern Ukraine, damages to health facilities caused by shelling seriously limit access to critical health care. Over 440 health facilities in conflict areas have reported critical shortages of medical supplies and funding.

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