A guidance document in simple language for health personnel, setting out their rights and responsibilities in conflict and other situations of violence. It explains how responsibilities and rights for health personnel can be derived from international humanitarian law, human rights law and medical e...thics.The document gives practical guidance on: - The protection of health personnel, the sick and the wounded; - Standards of practice; - The health needs of particularly vulnerable people; - Health records and transmission of medical records; - "Imported" health care (including military health care); - Data gathering and health personnel as witnesses to violations of international law; - Working with the media more

When war breaks out in cities, the complexity and interconnectedness of the urban environment poses many problems for civilians. For persons with disabilities, the impact can be even worse and aggravate existing barriers and risks. Armed forces, authorities, first responders, humanitarian actors and... other persons living in the city itself need to be aware of the specific risks that persons with disabilities face so they can help to reduce them. This factsheet draws attention to some of the biggest risks and makes recommendations on how National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies could better identify what support persons with disabilities need and incorporate this support into their own operations. It also makes recommendations for how National Societies could promote disability-inclusive interpretations and implementation of international humanitarian law among parties to armed conflict. more

Medical care for people caught up in armed conflict and other insecure environments saves lives and alleviates suffering. It is one of the most immediate and high priority needs of an affected population and is often the first type of response activated and/or requested by authorities and affected c...ommunities. Medical teams working in armed conflict and other insecure environments frequently face serious threats to their security and safety, challenges to patient access, and at times limited acceptance by affected communities in which they work and parties to the conflict. Such difficulties are likely to increase (6) and thereby creating a critical need to establish contact and trust with all sides in conflicts and in other insecure environments to ensure operational continuity. This trust can best be achieved when all sides perceive the medical teams to be neutral, impartial, and independent, and specifically not aiding (or being perceived to aid) any one party to achieve a military, political or economic advantage. For medical teams that are deploying increasingly closer to the frontlines, the implications of and consequences for both staff and patients of teams not being fully prepared, and/or not fully comprehending the context in which they work, can be severe. Medical response can easily be hindered or compromised by intentional or unintentional acts and the behaviour and conduct of the teams themselves more

Les conflits et les guerres ont des effets catastrophiques sur la santé et le bien-être des nations, et ils ont considérablement évolué au cours des dernières décennies. Avec la forte augmentation des crises humanitaires, y compris de la violence urbaine, de plus en plus de gens sont touchés... pendant des périodes plus longues par des interruptions des services élémentaires, devenues une triste réalité. Les interventions sanitaires et les approches novatrices face aux défis que posent les crises humanitaires peuvent sauver des vies et atténuer les conséquences des conflits pour les civils. Les équipes médicales qui interviennent lors de conflits armés et dans d’autres environnements dangereux sont fréquemment confrontées à de graves menaces pour leur sécurité et leur sûreté. Elles doivent surmonter ces difficultés pour avoir accès aux patients, d’autant plus qu’elles se heurtent parfois à la réticence des populations auprès desquelles elles interviennent et qui sont parties au conflit. Une riposte médicale fondée sur des principes se compose d’interventions cliniques et opérationnelles inspirées et respectueuses de normes fondamentales, qui mettent l’accent sur la qualité, la sécurité et la protection dans l’intérêt des patients. more