Petition: Demand protection for healthcare in conflict zones
Attacks on hospitals are never acceptable. No excuses, no exceptions. That's why MSF is calling on the UK Government to uphold International Humanitarian Law.
The UK Government must:
- Condemn all attacks on healthcare, loudly and without delay
- Stand up for the protection of health facilities and health workers in all conflicts
- Uphold the core principles of international law and stand against any erosion of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for political or military gain
By adding your voice to our petition, you will be helping us to make a case to the UK Government, and to protect hospitals, staff and patients around the world.
Healthcare is #NotATarget
No excuses. No exceptions.
Why is MSF launching this campaign?
Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international humanitarian organisation providing medical care in more than 70 countries.
From Gaza to Sudan, hospitals and health workers are under attack. Doctors and nurses are targeted. Patients are killed. Clinics and hospitals are destroyed.
And it's happening more often than ever. 2024 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarian workers, with 377 killed while trying to provide aid and healthcare. 2025 is already on track to be just as deadly – if not more so.
But hospitals are not battlefields.
Targeting hospitals and healthcare workers violates international law—and strikes at the heart of humanity.
What should the UK Government do for IHL?
The UK Government must take a firm and immediate stand against all attacks on healthcare services, staff, and patients.
Any delay or silence sends the wrong message – eroding respect for medical neutrality and emboldening further breaches of IHL. Each attack should be met with a strong, public condemnation.
The UK Goverment must take a firm and principled stance in rejecting the deliberate misapplication and erosion of fundamental IHL principles, including:
- When there are unjustifiable claims that hospitals and medical facilities have lost their special protection under IHL
- When civilians are unjustifiably labelled as fair military targets or acceptable collateral damage
- When impartial humanitarian assistance is used as a weapon of the conflict
Such distortions not only weaken IHL but also endanger those it is designed to protect. The UK has both the authority and responsibility to defend its integrity.
The UK should lead in defending the core principles under IHL – which protects civilians, hospitals and the sick from being attacked.
We urge the Government to defend the integrity of international humanitarian law and reject any attempts to dilute its purpose or protections.
Attacks on healthcare: Latest news and stories
Advocacy, bearing witness and speaking out
Témoignage, which translates as “bearing witness”, is a core principle of MSF’s humanitarian mission.
It embodies our duty to speak out against or denounce instances that dehumanise people and communities living through healthcare crises. This includes injustice, violence and exclusionary policies.