Thursday, September 22, 2016

Reports-Informes Recursos

In this section you will find reports, in-depth analysis and investigative materials in English, French, Spanish or Catalan on a range of issues and topics, from public health to human rights or specific national situations uploaded between 2011 and 2015 (new material will be made available weekly) . Each title provides a link to the original location, a summary or/and highlights and context information (posts in the blog, tweets and other sources). 

Other reports and analysis are to be found in posts elsewhere in the blog, like HRW´s documenting  torture under the G.W.Bush administration  and the situation in Haiti  after the earthquake or  MSF materials on Vaccine pricing

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Humanitarian Intervention´s original sin

We recover a piece from Alex De Wall (Fletcher School, Tufts University) on the legality of bombing medical facilities (protected by Article 19 of the 1949 Geneva Convention) under the light of the precedent set out by US forces in Somalia during the UN-endorsed “Operation Restore Hope” between December 1992 and May 1993.  Recent instances of disregard for medical neutrality in Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan and examples of impunity for misconduct of foreign troops operating under UN banner in Central African Republic, Haiti and Republic Democratic of Congo make this article even more relevant. We have added a few more hyperlinks and provided context information at the end of the post.


A member of US military forces walks through the remains of a church in Mogadishu, Somalia. Made in December 1992 during Operation Restore Hope Rich Mason  Flickr
Is It Ever Legal to Bomb a Hospital? On October 6, 2015

Dr. Omar was conducting an exploratory laparotomy on a female patient with a bullet wound in her abdomen when the entire hospital shook with the sound of explosions. Windows were shattering and a light and plaster fell from the ceiling. A nurse ran in to say that a missile had been fired through the wall of another operating theater, that three patients had been killed, and staff and patients were rushing to take shelter in the basement. Dr. Omar stayed with his patient, stitching her up even while the building reverberated with the assault.