Around one-third of our humanitarian and medical assistance is for populations caught in armed conflict.

Armed conflict devastates lives. Targeted, harassed and caught in hardship and poverty, people are forced into flight or live under siege and face indiscriminate attacks. Access to basic needs, like food and medical care, is often disrupted. Comprehensive medical and humanitarian support is vital, but health services are often scarce. In conflict zones, MSF does not take sides. We provide medical care based on needs alone, and work hard to reach those who need help the most.

CONFLICT AND HEALTH

HOW DOES CONFLICT DAMAGE NATIONAL HEALTH?

Armed conflict causes injury, displacement and death but it continues to affect people’s health even after the frontlines have moved or the guns have fallen silent.

It devastates essential health services, disrupts medical supplies, forces medical staff to flee and leaves the national immune system broken. When deadly diseases arrive, they’re even harder to fight.

For people caught up in violence or its aftermath, it is more important than ever to have access to healthcare, shelter, sanitation and food. Just to ensure they survive in the wake of war and can look to the future.

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