Crowley Julie, Wells John S G
School of Health Sciences, South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland.
Nurs Inq. 2025 Oct;32(4):e70052. doi: 10.1111/nin.70052.
Wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East highlight that armed conflict is once more a significant geopolitical challenge across the world. An aspect of such wars is the deliberate violation of medical neutrality through the targeting of hospitals and clinical staff, including nurses, in breach of international law. Through a narrative review of documented cases, this article reflects on recurring themes in attacks on medical neutrality during the World Wars that resonate with contemporary wars. Within the current context of international rivalry, it is emphasised that the growing strategic and military significance of healthcare assets increases the likelihood that breaches of medical neutrality will take place in the future. Whilst consistent enforcement of international law, if implemented, may deter such breaches, the current environment of politics and conflict suggests that this is unlikely to happen when the influence of historical precedent is taken into account.
乌克兰、苏丹和中东地区的战争凸显出武装冲突再次成为全球重大的地缘政治挑战。此类战争的一个方面是蓄意违反医疗中立原则，以医院和包括护士在内的临床工作人员为目标，这违反了国际法。通过对已记录案例的叙述性回顾，本文反思了两次世界大战期间攻击医疗中立原则中反复出现的主题，这些主题在当代战争中也有共鸣。在当前国际竞争的背景下，需要强调的是，医疗资产在战略和军事上的重要性日益增加，这使得未来违反医疗中立原则的可能性增大。虽然如果实施，持续执行国际法可能会阻止此类违反行为，但考虑到历史先例的影响，当前的政治和冲突环境表明这种情况不太可能发生。
