war
SURgery
Working with limited resources
in armed conflict
and other situations of violence
Volume 1
,war
SURgery
Working with limited resources
in armed conflict
and other situations of violence
Volume 1
C. Giannou M. Baldan
,International Committee of the Red Cross
19 Avenue de la Paix
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
T + 41 22 734 60 01 F + 41 22 733 20 57
E-mail:
www.icrc.org
© ICRC, March 2009
Cover photos: A. Bakkour/ICRC; A. Bakkour/ICRC; V. Louis/ICRC.
, PREFACE
In 1863, a small group of Swiss citizens founded the International
Committee of Geneva for the Relief of Wounded Soldiers. A year later,
an international diplomatic conference negotiated the first Geneva
Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded Soldiers
in the Field, which to this day is one of the cornerstones of international
humanitarian law, and gave the International Committee of the Red Cross
its definitive name.
International humanitarian law – the law of war – has developed since,
and the mandate, role and activities of the ICRC have expanded to include
both protection and assistance for all the victims of armed conflict and
other situations of violence. Assistance and relief programmes are now
run according to a public health approach and aim to be holistic regarding
human needs while respecting the dignity of each and every one.
War surgery – the care of the wounded in armed conflict and other
situations of violence – remains a pillar of the ICRC’s identity. Over the
years, ICRC hospital teams have unfortunately been witness to a great
deal of physical and mental suffering in this world. Through caring for
the sick and wounded in so many different conflict zones, the ICRC and
its partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
have developed an expertise they are keen to share, and created a pool
of human resources ever willing and prepared to help alleviate some
of the suffering.
This new manual presents some of this expertise, gained at great human
cost, in the hope that one day it will no longer be required.
Jakob Kellenberger
President
International Committee of the Red Cross
SURgery
Working with limited resources
in armed conflict
and other situations of violence
Volume 1
,war
SURgery
Working with limited resources
in armed conflict
and other situations of violence
Volume 1
C. Giannou M. Baldan
,International Committee of the Red Cross
19 Avenue de la Paix
1202 Geneva, Switzerland
T + 41 22 734 60 01 F + 41 22 733 20 57
E-mail:
www.icrc.org
© ICRC, March 2009
Cover photos: A. Bakkour/ICRC; A. Bakkour/ICRC; V. Louis/ICRC.
, PREFACE
In 1863, a small group of Swiss citizens founded the International
Committee of Geneva for the Relief of Wounded Soldiers. A year later,
an international diplomatic conference negotiated the first Geneva
Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded Soldiers
in the Field, which to this day is one of the cornerstones of international
humanitarian law, and gave the International Committee of the Red Cross
its definitive name.
International humanitarian law – the law of war – has developed since,
and the mandate, role and activities of the ICRC have expanded to include
both protection and assistance for all the victims of armed conflict and
other situations of violence. Assistance and relief programmes are now
run according to a public health approach and aim to be holistic regarding
human needs while respecting the dignity of each and every one.
War surgery – the care of the wounded in armed conflict and other
situations of violence – remains a pillar of the ICRC’s identity. Over the
years, ICRC hospital teams have unfortunately been witness to a great
deal of physical and mental suffering in this world. Through caring for
the sick and wounded in so many different conflict zones, the ICRC and
its partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
have developed an expertise they are keen to share, and created a pool
of human resources ever willing and prepared to help alleviate some
of the suffering.
This new manual presents some of this expertise, gained at great human
cost, in the hope that one day it will no longer be required.
Jakob Kellenberger
President
International Committee of the Red Cross
