title: The Solidarity and Health Neutrality of Physicians in War & Peace.
abstract: The wars in the Middle East have led to unprecedented threats and attacks on patients, healthcare workers, and purposeful targeting of hospitals and medical facilities. It is crucial that every healthcare provider, both civilian and military, on either side of the conflict become aware of the unique and inherent protections afforded to them under International Humanitarian Law. However, these protections come with obligations. Whereas Governments must guarantee these protections, when violated, medical providers have equal duty and obligations under the Law to ensure that they will neither commit nor assist in these violations nor take part in any act of hostility. Healthcare providers must not allow any inhuman or degrading treatment of which they are aware and must report such actions to the appropriate authorities. Failure to do so leads to risks of moral, ethical and legal consequences as well as penalties for their actions and inactions. There must be immediate recognition by all parties of the neutrality of health care workers and their rights and responsibilities to care for any sick and injured patient, regardless of their nationality, race, religion, or political point of view.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Frederick M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Burkle
authors.affiliation: Chief Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters, Health System and Policy, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: von Schreeb
authors.affiliation: Chief Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard medical School.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kayden
authors.affiliation: Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Redmond
authors.affiliation: Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong S.A.R., China, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, FXB Centre of Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Emily Yy
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Emergency and Disaster Medicine and Computer Science applied to Medicine (CRIMEDIM), Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Della Corte
authors.affiliation: Director, Global Disaster Response Massachusetts General Hospital.
authors.forename: Hilarie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cranmer
authors.affiliation: Professor and Chairman Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otomo
authors.affiliation: McGill University.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Health Care in Disasters Karolinska Institutet.
authors.forename: Nobhojit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roy