In collaboration with ICRC and the Ministry of Health, PRCS announced the launch of a joint awareness-raising campaign and the organization of a literary competition to promote and improve the general health situation in Palestine. The campaign aims to protect medical mission and keep them out of harm’s way while they perform their duties, and provide care for casualties and patients.
The announcement came during the joint conference held by the three institutions in PRCS Al Bireh headquarters on 17 March 2008. Speakers in the conference underlined the atrocity of targeting and attacking medical mission and ascertained that their rights were guaranteed by international and humanitarian laws. They added that medical institution workers and EMS teams have been, since the beginning of the uprising in 2000, repeatedly targeted by occupation fire. A few of them have died and many were wounded. Occupation forces have caused extensive damage to many ambulances, especially those of PRCS. Moreover, some attacks were perpetrated by local individuals and entities.
Dr. Omar Abu Al-Nasr, Director General of Public Relations at the Ministry of Health, stated that “the occupation’s violations against our people, and especially against medical personnels, have been incessant, and that Israel deems itself to be above international and humanitarian law”. He indicated that attacks against medical institution workers are ongoing and are not only committed by occupation forces. A fistful of citizens have also been taking aim at hospitals and clinics, as well as inside treatment rooms. They have attacked doctors and destroyed public property, and armed men have been responsible for many these violations.
Abu Al-Nasr added that the joint social awareness-raising campaign is scheduled to last a full year. In conclusion, he recalled all those who fell in the line of health and medical duties, while trying to rescue the wounded.
Katrina Ritz, head of ICRC delegation, said that those who perform medical duties put themselves at risk to save people and the wounded. She added that the protection of medical mission is stipulated in International Humanitarian Law, and that the first Geneva Convention has focused on this issue, indicating that the campaign was organised concurrently in Israel and Palestine. She also underlined the fact that the number of attacks perpetrated by the occupation and by the local community against medical personnels has been growing.
Rizk Shukair, PRCS international law adviser, indicated that assaulting medical teams and ambulances or hampering the transfer of patients and casualties to hospitals is legally prohibited. He presented an analysis of the legal framework providing for protection, respect and care to such workers. According to him, since 2000, 65 pregnant women gave birth at checkpoints: 35 of these newborns as well as 4 of the mothers have died because Israeli soldiers prevented them from reaching hospitals. In the Gaza Strip, as a result of the ongoing siege, 112 patients have died, until now, due to lack of treatment.
Shukair added: “As for PRCS personnel, in all branches, 16 EMTs were killed and 226 were wounded while performing their duties. There have been 449 cases where ambulances were shot at, damaged or vandalized by the Occupation, and 31 vehicles were totally destroyed, out of the 106 ambulances owned by PRCS. Moreover, 86 team members have been detained.”
At the end of the conference, the campaign managers announced a competition for the best short story and best photo on the subject of the respect and protection of medical mission. Winners are to receive various cash prizes.
HQ Location: PRCS
