War

Health rights, for a high quality medical assistance in war zones.

In war zones it is most important to ensure high quality medical assistance with a high grade of management and co-ordination.Humanitarian actions, in fact, can not stop at short-term needs. In war zones it is necessary to have permanent structures, organized and trained local personnel and reactivate health systems as much as possible, thus making possible self-sustainment for the people involved. This means promoting a culture of health rights, that is an indispensable long term aim for war afflicted countries, so that they can rise again after the conflict has ceased and civilians can go back to their lives as is their right.Other than hospitals, we should build a new way to live together, remembering that: “All human beings are born free and have equal dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed by UN on December 10th 1948)

WAR VICTIMS

It takes more to clearup war than a plaster.The importance of health care in war zones is clearand pressing. But all too often this is confined to shortterm aid provided during the conflict which stopsas soon as the conflict does.Emergency aims to leave behind long-lastinginfrastructures in war zones and areas strickenby poverty that enable the affected communitiesto regenerate and prosper long after the short termhelp leaves.Emergency provides highly specialised healthcareof the highest quality for civilian victims of war,landmines and poverty in three areas – surgery,medicine and rehabilitation.The right to health care is not something that shouldbe confined to the Western world.By setting up permanent structures and trainingpersonnel, we can help communities to rise againafter conflict.