Executive Summary
This report details the methodology used by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) for its 2025 report on violence against healthcare in conflict zones. It outlines data collection, definitions of conflict and attacks, and ethical considerations. The report covers 33 countries, with detailed chapters for 21, and highlights the use of AI-supported tools for incident identification.
Why It Matters
This document is crucial for defense and geopolitical analysts as it details the systematic methodology for tracking and analyzing attacks on healthcare in conflict zones, providing insights into the impact of warfare on civilian infrastructure and populations. Understanding these methodologies helps in evaluating the reliability of data on conflict-related violence and its humanitarian consequences.
Key Takeaways
- The SHCC report uses an event-based approach, cross-referencing multiple sources and AI-supported tools to document attacks on healthcare in 33 conflict-affected countries.
- Definitions of conflict (state-based, non-state, one-sided violence) and attacks on healthcare (WHO definition) are strictly applied, focusing on incidents perpetrated by conflict actors.
- The report acknowledges significant reporting and selection biases, emphasizing that reported numbers are minimum estimates and not directly comparable across all countries due to varying information flows and access.
- Insecurity Insight's data for 2025 recorded 2,546 incidents across 33 countries, significantly higher than WHO SSA's 1,385 incidents in 19 countries, highlighting differences in data collection and coverage.
- The methodology includes tracking impacts on health workers, facilities, transport, and supplies, aiming to inform policy for perpetrator accountability and mitigation of violence effects.
Strategic Relevance
Understanding the methodology behind tracking violence against healthcare in conflict zones is strategically important for assessing the human cost of conflict, evaluating adherence to international humanitarian law, and informing humanitarian aid and protection strategies. It provides a framework for analyzing how conflict impacts civilian infrastructure and populations, which is critical for post-conflict stabilization and international relations.