This week, the Canadian Red Cross and the ICRC are hosting a workshop bringing together experts to identify recommendations to ensure the safety of health facilities in times of conflict. As such, we'll be posting a blog post every day this week to help raise awareness about the need for healthcare workers to be protected in emergencies.
During times of conflict, healthcare workers and their facilities are often the target of deliberate attacks. These attacks are violations of international humanitarian law and are of great concern to not only the international community, but to Canadians as well.
Video: Irish Red Cross YouTube
In a recent survey conducted by the ICRC, Canadians ranked access to health care during war or other situations of violence among the top four humanitarian issues that concern Canadians among access to drinking water, food scarcity, and sexual violence. While 76% of Canadians surveyed perceived lack of safe access to health case during conflict as a big problem, less than half of those surveyed were aware of the humanitarian problem.
On Friday, experts from the Canadian Red Cross, International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and local hospital directors will speak on a panel discussion in the issue of Health Care in Danger in Ottawa. The discussion will also be available by live stream.
