The international committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has raised the alarm over attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel in the Northwest region.

The Head of Sub-Delegation, ICRC Kano Roger Alhaddad,

said this during a media roundtable in Kano.

Alhaddad said recently incidents in states like Zamfara, Sokoto and Katsina painfully illustrate that health personnel were attacked in line of duty.

He said the round table came at a time “when violence and insecurity continue to place enormous strain on healthcare delivery in parts of Nigeria, particularly in the North West. Every day, doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and other health workers risk their lives to save others. Yet, they too often become targets of violence, intimidation, or abduction. Health facilities have been looted, destroyed, or abandoned.”

A report had captured how 64 percent of health workers experienced violence mostly in emergency units in Nigeria in 2024, compared to over 1000 attacks on healthcare facilities, staff and ambulances in Gaza since October 2023.

The ICRC’s head of sub-delegation further said beyond the immediate loss, these attacks have a ripple effect, denying thousands of people the care they need and further weakening an already fragile health system leading to disability, disease and deaths.

According to the ICRC, Healthcare in Danger (HCiD) initiative was born out of this global concern: to ensure that health workers, facilities, and patients are respected and protected during armed conflict and other emergencies. (Daily Trust)