9 June 2020
While health workers around the world receive tributes and recognition for their roles in the COVID-19 response, they also face aerial bombardment, targeted violence, kidnappings, and threats to their ability to provide impartial health care to those in need.
In the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian health workers continue to come under attack. One year ago, a UN investigation called the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) “one of the most dangerous places in the world for healthcare workers.” As Medical Aid for Palestinians’ (MAP’s) new report shows, attacks on Palestinian health workers by Israeli forces happen time and time again. Those responsible are almost never held accountable, and victims and their families are thus denied justice.
On Wednesday 10 June, the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition - of which MAP is a member – will be holding a virtual briefing event to launch their annual report on violent attacks and other threats against health care in conflicts across 20 countries, including the oPt.
This one-hour interactive panel discussion, hosted by Physicians for Human Rights and co-sponsored by MAP, will highlight the report’s key findings and recommendations, insights from a nurse on the front lines, and emerging trends about attacks against health in the era of COVID-19.
