This article is taken from the video The New Barbarianism created by The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) which was posted months ago on CSIS' internet database. Individual analysis and insights has also been added to further discuss the topic at hand.

Disclaimer: This entry will include a summary of the new form of barbarianism that is prevalent across the globe. The views of the writer does not reflect on any of the organizations she is involved. I also do not support any of the global powers.

Doctors are pivotal in keeping the communities fit and healthy. They look for ways to improve their health. They do not just prescribe you medicines for your illness, they also do complex worksincluding research works for medical breakthroughs and addition of information that is yet to be added on textbooks and journals.

It is noteworthy though that only few countries around the world are capable of giving adequate medical treatments because of the financial constraints being experienced by developing states. The issue on war torn areas has also affected the performance and the security on a lot of medical institutions around the globe.

Summary

• The video is divided into four (4) different parts. The first part of the documentary focused on the issue in Syria which is affecting the security of the health care system because of the existence of resisting forces and some non-state actors in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. And according to https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/economic-data/the-poorest-countries-in-the-world?page=12, some of these belong to the poorest states.

• The second part of the documentary talks about how some factors of the war affected the country as a whole and has led to a huge amount of casualties.

• The third part talked about how such negligence of the US Department of Defense has led to the lost of lives of some medical staff working in an international humanitarian organization.

• The last part talked about the steps taken by the state and non-state actors especially those who provide front line services on war torn countries.

On Syria

According to John McCain, US senator and Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committe (R- Az), the issue on war in Syria has only been in the headlines for a short period of time -- meaning, the media has a little coverage on it especially on the casualties it has caused on the civilians.

The catastrophe in Syria has led for 11,000,000 (eleven million) people to fled from their country. 5,000,000 became refugees and experienced the hardships as immigrants. Because of the on-going war, there had been socio-economic, and political constraints. It has also hampered the security of medical personnel that has provided free medical access to victims of war and even the said rebels because it is the duty of any medical personnel to provide aid to anyone regardless of who the person is.

The war has led for 300 medical institutions bombed by airstrikes, 800 medical professionals killed, and dozens were tortured and executed to death.

The onslaught death of medical practitioners did not just occur in Syria but to other parts of the world, particularly its neighboring states: Ukraine, Sudan, Nigeria, Turkey, Libya, Central African Republic, Yemen, South Sudan, Iraq, Niger, Ethiopia, Egypt, Mali, Demorcratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Myanmar. Hospitals became legitimate target by both conflicting parties.

In South Sudan, the ongoing conflict has led to a creation of Famine Zone where a lot of people in the community experienced severe starvation. It is where the Samaritan's Purse (a humanitarian organization) operates-- providing basic needs and services to the community. The conflicting parties had then attacked this area and kidnapped a number of the medical staff and volunteers. It took days before they were brought back to their workplaces. Although they experience such hardship, they still continue to render services to those who are in need.

In Sri Lanka, a South Asian state and member of SAARC, the military bombed hospitals killing medical staff and civilians.

This is also prevalent in Syria. A number of doctors had been killed while providing services to the civilians and soldiers who sought for medical assistance. It was said that the aerial bombardment killed 55 people and the last remaining pediatrician in the city of Aleppo who is Dr. Muhammad Wassim Moaz was also killed. The nearby hospital rescued and helped the wounded.

It has been said that these series of airstrikes or aerial campaigns were executed by the alliance of the Russian government and the government of Assad (Syrian political leader). The scheme of the Assad regime is to attack the first responders.

According to some experts, more than 90 percent of the medical practitioners were killed by the Syrian and Russian government, but the latter mentioned has denied of these attacks.

Dr. Rami Kalazi, a neurosurgeon from Aleppo, Syria who was intervied decided to fled for his life to Turkey. He has been one of the few doctors who remained in the city of Aleppo.

Although these health services were viewed in supporting the terrorist, the remaining medical community who pledge to help continued to struggle to survive.

Geneva Under Siege

Fixed establishments and mobile medical units of the medical service may in no circumstances be attacked, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the parties to the conflict. -Article 19 on the Geneva Conventions

Through out the years, after the creation of the Geneva Conventions, a lot of additions had been made including the protection of the humanitarian workers. But the continuing attacks on the medical workers led to a debate whether or not this is a products of changing of global trends or a fundamental and new different phenomena.

Technology allowed the globe to see the scope and scale of wars but what we only see is just a speck of it. The aerial campaigns with limited view to the ground has caused more problems as it led to tragic violence against civilians.

The patient who gad been regarded as terrorist including the civilians living there. This led to the crippling status of healthcare.

On Yemen

In the past years, the war in Yemen has intensified because of the Saudi-led aerial campaigns against the oppressing forces of the Houthis who sought to put the ousted political leader back to power. The series of events has led to colossal humanitarian catastrophe. It intensified more when the United States decided to support Saudi Arabia to counter Iran who has been backing up the rebels.

Some wanted to flee from Yemen but then a lot of them were not able to flee because of its geographical boundaries. There is also no financial means to escape.

The country is also divided as it consists of different tribe. This factor has led to insecurity among the people.

These state and non-state actors led to the disruptive emergency and health assistance to the country. The weak health system in the country crippled together with the sanitation and water system. 500 thousand people suffered from the cholera outbreak and there had been 2000 fatalities, and half a million suffered from malnutrition. What is more saddening is that half of the population were not given medical treatment. According to the previous country director of International Medical Corps, the impact is massive.

Medical workers had been abducted, medical facilities had been attacked by both forces, and there were restrictions on goods and medicines from coastal blockades and numerous checkpoint along the highways and roads. This has caused to hinder medical volunteers (particularly from IMC) to fully function and give
medical services.

The Kunduz Tragedy in Afghanistan

Meanwhile in Afghanistan particularly at Kunduz, the Doctors Without Borders provided health care services on both the armed soldiers.

Aerial Campaigns

In September 25, the Taliban, a terrorist group, attacked Kunduz city. The Afghan soldiers went to the airport. It caused the US forces to arrive and launched an offensive attack in Kunduz. The targets were based near the hospital where the medical professionals from Doctors Without Borders work.

Unfortunately there was an equipment malfunction which led for the US forces to commit targeting error. Aside from that, there was a failure in giving the coordinates of the hospital as a no strike zone. The US bomb hit the hospital. In response, Doctors Without Borders called for help but after thirty minutes from the first strike, there was another attack. A lot had been injured and burned in fire. All in all, 42 people died while 14 of those were staff members. The Department of Defense has said that it was an accident.

This is a photo of a van of Medicins Sans Frontier or Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian organization that operates around the world.

The incident has caused Department of Defense to communicate to the humanitarian organizations to avoid such catastrophe. Few officials were also reprimanded and retook courses.

Wars Have Rules: Call for Collective Action

It was said that there would always come a time wherein it seemed that we humanity is stuck in the dark ages. The massive attacks on these medical institution and humanitarian organizations calls for a change in the system and shaking of some global political actors to take more responsible actions.

The creation of Geneva Conventions was not completed overnight, which means drafting and execution of new steps to be taken with the issue on hand might take a lot of time.

The pressure groups, particularly the various international humanitarian organizations had become more active in the pursuit of seeking. On their part, it may take a lot of time but they know it would be worth it. In response, the Resolution 2286 in 2016 has been made to preserve health care services, but unfortunately, it has still been violated.

In conclusion, the author/ director of this documentary called for the United States to lead and set example among the other members of United Nations.

Things must be dealt systematically.

Source: https://www.csis.org/features/new-barbarianism/?si1

Authors:
J. Stephen Morrison
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR
Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center
Published on September 2017

My Analysis and Insights

Governments were created to provide the needs of the citizens and sojourners of a state. This is in consonance with social contract theory as by principle people laid down their rights to the authority to provide the former with security. Throughout the history of the creation of the government, states were not able to achieve the interest of the people (particularly on peace and security) because the government alone could not do it.

In social science particularly in modern public administration, the government is said to be insufficient. It requires the participation of the population and even the intervention of the non-governmental organizations -- thus there was an introduction to governance which include different state and non-state actors.

In my opinion, state-led wars has caused state terrorism as well. People had been suffering from the series of actions taken by the government and by the resisting forces.

If wars remain, it is just the children and the other members of the vulnerable sector will suffer the most. Companies that build such weapons would benefit most on this dark age.

Imagine if money is spent in foreign direct investments and capacitating communities instead of buying arms, more people would benefit from it. Imagine if we spent more on investing on the values on our kids, then we had been cutting off their horns as little devils.

The NGOs became important actors in the international stage particularly in providing assistance to conflict areas. There compassion should be replicated not just by other humanitarian arm but by the people around the globe. We must be compassionate in serving others. It is important to support their cause as well despite of our political differences.

Creating such pressure would later on push legislators to promulgate laws and statutes that is leaning towards a more accountable and responsible government. This may sound unrealistic, but at least it will move or sway people.

Social media has a huge role on educating the world on what is going on. Responsible use of social media should be given emphasis that is why I tend to share this information to everyone. I urge all those who have information and access to these places to create awareness to different communities. This would promote healthy discussion and soon would build a pressure to global actors particularly the United Nations Security Council and United Nations General Assembly.

A lot of lives had been put to stake, a lot of kids died from starvation because of the contraints that was has caused, and a lot of unwanted things occured in human history. Let us not add more to that.

Let us stop burning bridges but break walls of hatred instead. Let us continually plant a seed of love and teach these to our kids.

This is my simple call for everyone to spread love among humanity. If wars are not stopped, then we are breeding children into becoming vipers as some would opt to avenge to the innocent lives that has been lost because of the wars. In wars, the people will suffer and the greedy people will just laugh at us.

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Images are taken from pixabay.com.

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About the Blogger/ Writer

Johanna Gail Tongco, or also known as @gailbelga has completed her academic requirement on her Masters Degree with the Program Public Administration at University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines. She graduated honorable mention among her batch at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan taking up Bachelor of Arts in International Studies while graduating as university scholar.

She has served on various non-governmental organization which includes Move This World, Philippines Inc. which sought to eradicate the discrimination among the conflicting areas in Philippines especially Mindanao. The organization won the prestigious award which is Ten Accomplished Youth Organization (TAYO) in the Philippines.

She seeks to serve her community and other communities using Steemit as a platform/tool for information, education, and communication. She also enjoys inspiring others through art and share stories based on real stories.