Red Cross Warns Of Attacks On Workers
August 10, 2011 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
GENEVA, Switzerland, Aug. 10 (UPI) — Attacks on healthcare facilities and workers in war zones are a serious problem, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland said Wednesday.
The aid group said hospitals have been shelled, ambulances have been shot at and medical personnel who treated protesters have been put on trial, all in violation of international law.
“The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols assert the right of the wounded and sick — combatants and civilians alike — to be spared further suffering during armed conflict and to receive assistance,” a report by the group said.
The report examined hundreds of incidents across 16 countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Sri Lanka and Colombia.
“From Colombia to Gaza, and from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Nepal, there is a lack of respect for the neutrality of healthcare facilities and personnel and medical vehicles, among both those attacking them and those who misuse them for military gain,” the report said.
The ICRC said it is launching a major four-year campaign to raise awareness of the problem and find a solution.
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