Healthcare at the crosshairs of crisis in war zones
We have heard the news: Missile attacks in the ongoing Middle East conflict involving Iran and Israel continue to damage major hospitals, disrupting access to essential medical services. The destruction of hospitals and care facilities forces thousands of people out of their communities, including older adults, children, and healthcare workers. One thing is becoming clear. War zones are making healthcare facilities and people with medical needs more vulnerable.
When people think of war, the first images that come to mind are usually of bombs, guns, and fighting on the front lines. But what often gets overlooked is what happens to people’s health, especially those who are notin the front lines of combat. War does not only harm people through physical violence. It also destroys hospitals, blocks access to medicine, disrupts food supply, and leaves people traumatized for years.
Children caught in the shadow of war
When war breaks out, children often lose their parents or get separated from their families. Infants can die from preventable causes, simply because medical care becomes unreachable. Food becomes scarce, and in some cases, weaponized, so children grow up malnourished, which stunts growth, weakens immune systems, and affects learning capabilities.
Mentally, the toll is just as brutal. Children in war zones deal with extreme fear, anxiety, and deep sadness. Some develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that develops when a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events. [1]
In war-torn areas, the risk of death in infancy and orphanhood are high [2] , creating long-term trauma that can shape a child’s life well into adulthood.
Tearing families apart; pushes people to flee
War also drives people to leave their homes—sometimes forever. Some become refugees and cross into other countries. Others stay within their borders and are called internally displaced people. Either way, they’re forced to leave behind everything they know, including schools, jobs, and community support.
The camps where displaced people end up often lack clean water, proper toilets, and good healthcare. That means diseases like cholera, diarrhea, and tuberculosis spread quickly. Aid groups such as United Nations agencies—including the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)—provide support in the form of food, shelter, and medical care to displaced and affected populations. Yet the needs are immense, and the conditions are often chaotic. [3]
During these times, people are not just running from bullets. They are running to find food, medical care, or shelter. In countries with unstable governments or frequent droughts, people often have no choice but to move, to be able to survive.
Forced human migration, whether during war or peace, often stems from the search for basic needs such as food, shelter, and medical care. Conflict disrupts agriculture and cross-border trade, leading to food scarcity and unsanitary conditions, which drive people to seek aid and sustenance elsewhere. Widespread destruction of homes and communities force families to flee to safer areas. In arid regions, for instance, agro-pastoralist communities migrate seasonally in search of water and pasture due to unpredictable rainfall. Armed conflict also hinders access to medical care, making it dangerous to transport health supplies and pushing people to relocate to areas with more stable healthcare systems. [4]
Health systems break down in conflict zones
It is easy to forget how fragile healthcare systems are until war wipes them out. Hospitals can be bombed, roads blocked, and medical supplies stolen or delayed. Even when clinics are open, getting medicine to the people who need it becomes nearly impossible. Vaccines spoil without refrigeration, and doctors may flee or be overwhelmed.
All of this makes controlling disease outbreaks challenging. Viral diseases like a flu, measles, or polio can spread rapidly in crowded camps. And when the government or public health system is on the brink of collapse, humanitarian and other international groups step in, but they cannot always fill the gap quickly enough.
Closure of schools, pausing learning
War does not just interrupt school for a few days or weeks. In many cases, children miss out on an entire year or more of learning. Schools are often turned into evacuation centers or temporary shelters, making education impossible. Without access to schooling, children lose a critical foundation for their future.
Young girls face added risks. Many are pulled out of school to care for younger siblings or help at home. Some are forced into early marriage or face teenage pregnancy. Children who become separated from their families are especially vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
According to UNICEF, more than 473 million children—over one in six globally—now live in areas affected by conflict, as the world experiences the highest number of conflicts since World War II. The share of children living in conflict zones has nearly doubled since the 1990s, rising from around 10 percent to nearly 19% today. In 2023, the UN verified 32,990 grave violations against 22,557 children, the highest number since monitoring began. Thousands of children have already been killed or injured in war-ravaged regions, and this trend is expected to continue.
Girls and women face severe threats, including widespread sexual violence in conflict areas. There were also reported incidents of sexual violence against children have increased by 1,000% this year. Children with disabilities are also more exposed to violence and rights violations during armed conflict.
Education continues to suffer as schools are destroyed, damaged, or repurposed. More than 52 million children in conflict-affected countries are out of school, and countless children have lost access to learning as schools remain unsafe or nonfunctional. [5]
War’s economic impact affects health
Even in places far from the actual fighting, the economic ripples of war can be brutal. Countries dependent on food, fuel, and fertilizers from abroad get hit hard when trade is disrupted. Prices go up, people lose jobs, and governments go into debt. For families in conflict zones, this often means living with nothing. In some areas, minors as young as 15 or 16 years old had to become the breadwinners.
No winners, just survivors
There are a number of major conflicts happening around the world today. Geopolitical tensions, economic wars, and border disputes wield the power to displace people, wreck economies, and tear apart the systems that help people stay alive and healthy.
With health and access to medical care under threat, the root causes of war must be addressed: bad governance, inequality, extremist ideologies, and the lack of peaceful solutions to conflict. Without peace, there is no real chance at good health for millions of people around the world. This phrase never gets old: “Make peace, not war” – for health, for life, for all.
References:
- War is a public health emergency, Goto, Ryunosuke et al., The Lancet, Volume 399, Issue 10332, 1302
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00479-2/fulltext),
- ( Kenkoh Nkiese, J., & Kininla Wirba, S. (2024). Perspective Chapter: Armed Conflict and Its Impact on Human Migration – The Healthcare Perspective. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.112791)
- Kenkoh Nkiese, J., & Kininla Wirba, S. (2024). Perspective Chapter: Armed Conflict and Its Impact on Human Migration – The Healthcare Perspective. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.112791
- ‘Not the new normal’ – 2024 ‘one of the worst years in UNICEF’s history’ for children in conflict
– https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/not-new-normal-2024-one-worst-years-unicefs-history-children-conflict
Category: Community, Top Story
