We are witnessing a dark chapter unfolding across our world.
From Ukraine to Gaza, Sudan to Yemen, Israel, Iran, India, Pakistan, conflict is tearing through nations, across cultures and borders, bringing unimaginable suffering. These are not distant tragedies. The toll is being paid, above all, by civilians, by children, by the vulnerable, and by those who dedicate their lives to healing: healthcare workers.
The deliberate or collateral destruction of healthcare - its workers, its infrastructure, its sanctity - is an affront to humanity itself. The hospital, the clinic, the ambulance must never become targets. These institutions of healing are sacred. They must be preserved for the purpose they were built: to protect life, to alleviate suffering.
War wages itself against the body and mind - through famine, fear, displacement, disease. We are already seeing health systems collapse, medical schools lost, the resurgence of infectious diseases, maternal care abandoned, and the silent epidemic of trauma that will scar generations. Mental health, especially among children, is reaching breaking point.
As an international community of healthcare professionals, we share the objective of improving, and preserving, patient health and care. We are calling on all leaders - politicians, parliamentarians, influencers, and institutions - to act with urgency, to work towards peace and to protect life.
To our Fellows and Members currently affected by conflict, we send our support. We stand together, as doctors, educators, healers and human beings.
Charities providing support to those affected by conflict include:
- Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
- The British Red Cross
- Save the Children
- The International Rescue Committee