Currently there is no publicly available source of consolidated information on attacks on health care in emergencies. This report is a first attempt to consolidate and analyse the data that is available from open sources. While the data are not comprehensive, the findings shed light on the severity and frequency of the problem.

Over the two-year period from January 2014 to December 2015, there were 594 reported attacks on health care that resulted in 959 deaths and 1561 injuries in 19 countries with emergencies. More than half of the attacks were against health care facilities and another quarter of the attacks were against health care workers. Sixty-two per cent of the attacks were reported to have intentionally targeted health care.

However, the limitations of the available information highlight the need for more and better data collection. Standard definitions and classifications are needed to enable comparisons to be made of information from multiple sources, in order to better understand the full extent and nature of the problem. The lack of information on the impact of attacks on health service delivery and the health of affected populations is a significant knowledge gap and a priority for information collection moving forward.

Finally, the findings underscore the need for intensified action from a broad spectrum of actors to ensure that health care is provided universally during emergencies to all those who need it, unhindered by any form of violence or obstruction.