The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) have raised concerns over the increasing attacks on hospitals in Northeast Nigeria. The attacks have disrupted healthcare delivery services in conflict-affected states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. According to the health agencies, the attacks on hospitals, medical personnel, and other healthcare facilities are undermining access to lifesaving treatment for civilians and wounded people.
During a webinar titled “Health Care Under Attack, From Evidence to Action,” ICRC Legal Adviser Ms Supriya Rao emphasized that international humanitarian law specifically protects medical personnel, facilities, and transport. The Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols require parties to armed conflicts to protect wounded and sick people and ensure medical missions can function. Rao noted that hospitals are presumed to be protected, with narrow and exceptional circumstances under which they could lose that protection.
Ms Rao also mentioned the Global IHL Initiative, launched in 2024, which has attracted 118 states, with over 160 states participating in consultations aimed at strengthening the protection of healthcare. Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, and Uruguay are co-chairing the initiative’s hospital-protection workstream. This initiative aims to enhance the protection of healthcare facilities and personnel during armed conflicts.
MSF International Regional Humanitarian Representative for the Middle East and North Africa, Ms Reem Mougheith, stated that the continued attacks on healthcare facilities show that existing commitments have yet to translate into adequate protection on the ground. She cited the 2015 bombing of an MSF trauma centre in Kunduz, Afghanistan, which killed 42 people, including 14 MSF staff, as an example of the devastating consequences of such attacks.
Mougheith also referenced an attack on Jabal Ahmed Hospital in South Lebanon, which resulted in four deaths and 127 injuries, including 39 hospital workers. The attack damaged the intensive care unit and disrupted surgical and radiology services. She noted that similar incidents have occurred in Sudan and Gaza, leaving medical teams unable to provide uninterrupted care to patients.
The consequences of attacks on healthcare facilities can be far-reaching, Mougheith warned. Damage to hospitals and medical equipment can prevent patients from receiving critical treatment, and such incidents can have a lasting impact on the healthcare system. She called for independent investigations into attacks on healthcare facilities and meaningful accountability for violations.
Mougheith emphasized that merely documenting attacks is not enough; parties to armed conflicts must respect international humanitarian law and protect healthcare workers, patients, and medical facilities. Healthcare workers should be able to provide essential services without having to choose between treating patients and protecting themselves from further attacks. The ICRC and MSF are advocating for stronger protection of healthcare facilities and personnel in conflict zones.
Key points
- The ICRC and MSF have raised concerns over attacks on hospitals in Northeast Nigeria, disrupting healthcare services in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
- International humanitarian law protects medical personnel, facilities, and transport, but existing commitments have yet to translate into adequate protection on the ground.
- The ICRC and MSF are calling for independent investigations into attacks on healthcare facilities and meaningful accountability for violations.
