The violent unrest tearing apart Khartoum has forced many Sudanese to flee in search of safety. The impact of the war on the capital's health care system has made it even more urgent for many families to leave.
Attacks on medical facilities in Khartoum in 2023 led to a shortage of medicines across the capital, meaning that many Sudanese with chronic illnesses could no longer find the drugs they needed.
This is the reality for millions of people in need of life-saving healthcare, not only in Sudan but also in other parts of the world.
In Gaza, multiple attacks on hospitals have killed and injured hundreds of people, including health workers and displaced people seeking refuge in what were believed to be safe places.
In the city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), doctors and nurses have been killed while trying to treat displaced people. In Ukraine, the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital was targeted by an airstrike, killing a doctor and a hospital worker and leaving 16 people injured, including seven children. In Pakistan, a bomb killed police officers deployed to protect workers vaccinating against polio.
As Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), I have repeatedly condemned these attacks and called for the protection and respect of health workers in humanitarian and other settings.
However, my calls and those of our humanitarian partners on the ground and around the world have gone unheeded, even though health facilities, their staff, patients and other civilians are protected under international law during conflict.
In 2023 alone, the WHO recorded 1,520 attacks on healthcare, resulting in the deaths of at least 750 patients and healthcare workers and 1,250 injured. So far this year, there have also been more than 700 attacks. As horrific as these figures are, they are likely to underestimate the true scale of the problem.
While one attack is one too many, in some places there have been alarmingly high numbers of attacks in short periods of time. In Gaza, more than 500 medical staff have been killed since the conflict began last October. In addition, at least 287 humanitarian workers have lost their lives, including many colleagues from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and at least one member of our WHO family, Dima Alhaj.
In Gaza, as in Ukraine, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and elsewhere, those who fall leave behind grieving families and communities. Parties to the conflict are failing humanitarian and health workers and the people they serve.
Even when responding to clear public health threats, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, humanitarian and health workers faced deadly attacks, physical threats and psychological intimidation on an unprecedented scale.
On 19 August, World Humanitarian Day, we must confront the escalation of attacks against humanitarian workers and attempts to normalise them. On this day, I reiterate my condemnation of all forms of violence, threats and attacks against humanitarian workers, including health workers. I also join other humanitarian and UN leaders in calling on all countries to take collective responsibility and action to ensure the full protection of humanitarian workers. We must provide humanitarian heroes with the protected space they need to save lives.
More than ever, World Humanitarian Day reminds us of the essence of our work: to protect everyone, everywhere, at any time, no matter how difficult the situation.
Beyond the legal implications, attacks on health interfere with the work of health workers, the distribution of health supplies, and essential services at health facilities such as vaccinations, prenatal care, and treatment of chronic diseases, leading to preventable deaths and increased suffering.
A single attack on the only hospital serving a population can have devastating and long-lasting consequences on the delivery of health services to entire communities in the short term and for years to come. Health facilities provide more than just care: in many communities, they offer shelter and contribute to collective well-being.
The WHO Constitution states that “the health of all peoples is fundamental to the achievement of peace and security and depends on the fullest cooperation of individuals and States.”
WHO knows all too well the immense value of our colleagues working in humanitarian situations and the pain we feel when we lose them unnecessarily to armed violence. Their dedication is a testament to the impact humanitarian action can have on millions of lives. By protecting humanitarian workers, we uphold the principles of compassion and solidarity and reaffirm our commitment to a more humane world.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
