The latest annual report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition identified more than 2,500 incidents of violence against, or obstruction of, health care in conflicts during 2023. 

Those incidents, which span from Myanmar to Mali, include attacks on health care workers and facilities, the use of drones to target hospitals and ambulances, and the occupation of hospitals to conduct military operations. And many attacks are carried out with impunity. 

Joining the show to unpack patterns of attacks on health care in armed conflicts is an expert team from the nonprofit organization Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and their local partners. 

Dr. Houssam al-Nahhas is PHR’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) researcher where he documents attacks on health care, including unlawful detention of health care workers, and advocates for access to health.  

Dr. Neema Rukunghu Nadine-Néné is a gynecologist at Panzi hospital in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and an expert trainer on the care of survivors of sexual violence for PHR and the Panzi Foundation.  

Uliana Poltavets is PHR’s Ukraine Emergency Response Coordinator where she focuses on documenting attacks on health care in Ukraine since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. 

Dr. “B” Zemen is an Organizational Psychologist and board member of the Health Professionals Network for Tigray (HPN4Tigray).

Show Notes: 

• Dr. Houssam al-Nahhas (@h_alnahhas)
• Dr. Neema Rukunghu
• Uliana Poltavets
• Dr. "B" Zemen
• Paras Shah (@pshah518) 
• Uliana and Christian De Vos’ Just Security article “Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure Imperil Healthcare Access” 
• Just Security’s International Humanitarian Law (IHL) coverage
• Just Security’s health coverage
• Just Security’s Civilian Harm coverage
• Just Security’s Gaza, Russia-Ukraine War, Syria, and Tigray coverage
• Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)