The International Humanitarian System:
The International Humanitarian Actors are a wide range of organizations, inter-agency networks that all combine to enable international humanitarian assistance to be channeled to the places in need. There actions are guided by key humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.
In humanitarian emergencies, where the national government is unwilling and/or unable to bring humanitarian relief to those affected, The United Nations (UN) is mandated to support the coordination of international humanitarian agencies in order to deliver assistance to save lives and alleviate suffering.
Cluster Approach, aims to enhance partnerships and effective coordination between humanitarian actors in relief efforts,was formulated in 2005.
THE SYSTEM IS BREAKING DOWN!
This system should be functioning in a way that refugees would be provided with safe havens with basic public health infrastructure and social integration.
Today , we are seeing it break down– not because the model is flawed but due to polarized unethical political behavior, drastically underfunded UN appeals, failure to acknowledge the scale of displacement and concomitant public health challenges.
The international humanitarian law prohibits torture, starvation, targeting of schools and hospitals.
In 2016, there were confirmed reports of 338 attacks on health care facilities ,depriving people even of emergency assistance.The impact of crisis on health care delivery and the humanitarian system is to be of considered with highest momentum.
The destruction of hospitals and health care facilities has deprived millions of people of access to even basic health care.Around half of Syria’s public hospitals are either closed or partially functional.Those that remain operational have suffered daily power cuts and only 12% have back-up generators.As a result of lack of access to timely trauma care, up to one third of those injured suffers,from life-changing disabilities and require long-term care.
The mass exodus of health care professionals and the collapse of national health information have compounded the dire health situation.
Every attack on the health care system has a domino effects with its immediate consequence depriving people of urgent care.