Faced with the increase in "violence targeting infrastructure, means of transport and health personnel" during conflicts, the leaders of the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders denounced, Sunday in a joint declaration, "a failure of political will" and launched an "urgent call for action".

Published on: 04/05/2026 - 06:30 Modified on: 04/05/2026 - 09:26

The heads of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) launched a call to protect health services during conflicts on Sunday, May 3.

Ten years ago, they recall in a joint declaration, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2286 which condemns attacks and threats targeting the wounded and sick, medical personnel, hospitals and other medical facilities.

"Today, the situation is even worse than ten years ago. We are not celebrating a success, we are seeing a failure", they denounce, affirming that "it is not a failure of law" but "of political will".

“Violence targeting infrastructure, means of transport and health personnel continues unabated,” they underline.

“A crisis of humanity”

As leaders of the ICRC, WHO and MSF, they say they join "other members of the international community in launching an urgent call for action."

“When hospitals and caregivers are targeted, we face not only a humanitarian crisis, but also a crisis of humanity,” they say.

They call on world leaders "to act and demonstrate the political will necessary to end this violence" against health care, including by strengthening its protection and ensuring that "rapid, transparent and impartial investigations" are carried out when there are attacks.

“State actors are responsible for the vast majority, around 85%, of incidents affecting health services,” Michael Keeffe, ICRC advisor on the protection of health services, told journalists this week.

With AFP

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