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![A woman walks past building damaged by shelling in Mariupol, Ukraine, Sunday, March 13, 2022. The surrounded southern city of Mariupol, where the war has produced some of the greatest human suffering, remained cut off despite earlier talks on creating aid or evacuation convoys.](/sites/default/files/styles/hero_desktop/public/images/Ukraine_MSB120802.jpg?itok=q98e_yRh)
Conflict
Armed conflict devastates lives. Targeted, harassed and trapped within hardship and poverty; people are often forced into flight. In other cases, people live under siege or in constant fear of indiscriminate or even targeted attacks. In addition, people are often left impoverished without sufficient access to basic needs like food and medical care.
Comprehensive medical and humanitarian support is vital, but health services are often scarce. In conflict zones, we do not take sides.
We provide care based on needs alone and work to reach those who require medical attention, regardless of which side of the frontline they happen to be.
![War_Health](/sites/default/files/images/MSF248437.jpg)
Conflict and Health
Conflict and health
HOW DOES CONFLICT DAMAGE NATIONAL HEALTH?
Armed conflict causes injury, displacement and death. Even after the guns have fallen silent, conflict continues to affect people’s health.
It devastates essential health services, disrupts medical supplies, forces medical staff to flee and leaves health systems broken, so when deadly diseases arrive they’re even harder to fight.
For people caught up in violence or its aftermath, it is more important than ever to have access to healthcare, shelter, sanitation and food.
![Midwife_iraq](/sites/default/files/images/West-Mosul.jpg)
Voices from the field
You can still see a lot of anger and pain in people’s eyes wherever you go.ABDULRAHMAN DHANNOON KHALEEL, MSF PROJECT COORDINATOR SUPPORT
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