The EU, Portuguese Red Cross and ICRC campaign 2021
From 14 October to 8 December 2021, the ICRC, supported by the EU and in collaboration with the Portuguese Red Cross (CVP) broadcast across cinemas in Portugal a short film on the risks to health-care #NotATarget
The film screening is part of the 'Health-Care in Danger' campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the all too often existent dangers of providing health-care outside the EU.
With this short film #NotATarget the European Union, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Portuguese Red Cross want to address the widespread and severe impact of illegal and often violent acts that obstruct the delivery of health care, damage or destroy facilities and vehicles, and injure or kill health-care workers and patients. Based on humanitarian operational experience and different studies done on the subject, the Red Cross and the EU believe that lack of safe access to health care in conflict or other emergencies is affecting millions of people. Yet, the significance of this issue is not fully appreciated. For the Red Cross health care includes hospitals, clinics, first-aid posts and ambulances. For this campaign the scene depicting a father trying to save the life of his daughter was chosen as a symbol of universalism and humanity.
What is not allowed here in Europe, should also not be allowed 'there' where armed conflicts occur. In the field, the effect of just one violent incident directed against medical personnel or facilities may be felt by hundreds or even thousands of people. A single act of violence that damages a hospital or kills health-care workers has a knock-on effect, depriving many patients of treatment they would otherwise have received from the facility or workers in question.
The Health-Care in Danger project seeks to understand the complexity of the issue with the aim of raising awareness and increasing the knowledge of relevant institutions worldwide as well as informing the general public about this critical humanitarian problem. Recognizing the complexity of the issues at hand, key stakeholders notably at the EU level were mobilized to find practical solutions within their own spheres of responsibility. The outcomes of these consultations, recommendations and practical measures are being used as basis to produce technical tools for the different target audiences. The ICRC and the European Union believe that mobilizing the European public opinion could have also an impact in the countries where the issue is of immediate operational concern.