Impunity Reigns as Medical Personnel and Facilities across 23 Conflict-Torn Countries Remain Under Attack
Summary
"Numbers dont tell the full story of the violence inflicted on patients and the doctors, nurses, lab technicians and ambulance drivers who have made it their lifes mission to provide crucial care services to people in need," said Rubenstein."In one incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a militia allied with the Congolese army attacked a hospital in the town of Cinq in the Kasai region near the Angola border, killing at least 90 medical staff and patients, including pregnant women and other civilians.Syria continues to experience the highest number, with 252 documented acts of violence against health facilities, transport, and personnel in 2017, amid sustained airstrikes and shelling on hospitals there.Laura Hoemeke , Director of Advocacy and Communications at IntraHealth International , a member of the Coalition said, "In Pakistan, the number of reports of vaccinators killed declined from prior years, showing that proactive steps to protect them and other frontline workers can increase the security of essential primary health services.Susannah Sirkin , director of international policy and partnerships at Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a member of the Coalition, explains that these attacks do so much more than destroy buildings and kill medical personnel.