| Summary/Abstract |
Violent conflict clearly has devastating impacts on the health of civilian populations. These impacts range from civilian casualties as a result of the inadvertent or deliberate targeting by conflict protagonists to the indirect effects on population health that result from the disruption of health infrastructure and socio-economic systems. Medical interventions, the provision of lifesaving interventions to reduce the suffering of civilians and limit the loss of life during war, are therefore central to humanitarian assistance and an important component of international engagement in conflict-affected states. International humanitarian law (IHL) includes provisions to ensure that civilians are able to access this medical assistance during violent conflict.
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