In 2024, global conflict saw health care workers and facilities come under unprecedented attack—with over 3,600 incidents reported worldwide. This represents a 15% rise from 2023. It is also a 62% increase from 2022, according to the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC).
Their new report, titled “Epidemic of Violence,” calls this year the worst on record since monitoring began over a decade ago. The impact on health services has been severe.
TEN ATTACKS EVERY DAY: WAR ZONES BECOMING DEADLY FOR HEALTH CARE
Across the globe, health care was attacked 10 times a day on average in 2024. More than 900 health workers were killed, and over 470 were arrested in violent or obstructive incidents, deeply impacting their health.
Repeated bombings of hospitals, the use of explosive weapons, and even armed drone strikes plagued medical facilities. For the second year in a row, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) saw the most reported attacks—over 1,300. That figure is the highest SHCC has ever recorded in a single country or territory in one year.
Other hotspots included Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine, all of which reported persistent assaults on health infrastructure.
EXPLOSIVES AND DRONES: THE DEADLIEST TOOLS OF MODERN CONFLICT
The use of explosive weapons in attacks on health care surged from 36% in 2023 to 48% in 2024. Meanwhile, armed drone-related incidents affecting health services more than doubled—from 9% to 20%, indicating deteriorating health conditions in conflict zones.
This points to a troubling normalization of targeting medical facilities with increasingly destructive weapons.
STATE ACTORS BEHIND MOST ATTACKS—ACCOUNTABLE TO NO ONE
A staggering 81% of attacks were linked to state actors, reflecting a growing trend of government forces violating international laws, resulting in compromised health conditions for many.
According to SHCC, disregard for international humanitarian law is now widespread—accountability remains absent. Christina Wille, director of Insecurity Insight, said:
“There has been a complete erosion in the respect for international humanitarian law… mounting evidence demands a decisive response.”
UNDERREPORTED AND OVERWHELMING: THE HIDDEN SCALE OF VIOLENCE
Due to blocked communications, fear of reprisals, and insecure environments, the real number of incidents is likely far higher. Even these record-breaking figures likely undercount the full scale of violence, SHCC warns, masking true health implications.
This underscores the need for better reporting mechanisms and more transparent data sharing.
RECOMMENDATIONS: LAW MUST CATCH UP WITH REALITY
SHCC is urging UN Member States to take action. Key recommendations include:
- Reject legal reinterpretations that erode protections for health workers.
- End impunity by supporting prosecutions at the ICC and sharing violence data.
- Endorse the Political Declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas.
- Ratify the Arms Trade Treaty, repeal laws that justify health care attacks.
- Revise military doctrine to enforce safety for health workers during armed conflict to protect their health.
Leonard Rubenstein, SHCC Chair, stated: “Each of these assaults brings terror, trauma, and in too many cases, injury, destruction, and death.” He warns that attacks on health care cripple the ability to care for people when they need it most—in the chaos of war. As humanitarian law is routinely violated, and conflicts become more indiscriminate, the world’s silence becomes complicity.
THE DATA IS CLEAR. THE RESPONSE IS MISSING.
The SHCC’s report doesn’t just expose violence—it demands action. Without immediate enforcement of existing international laws, these trends will only worsen in 2025 and beyond. You can access the SHCC’s data sets and interactive global maps via the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX).
