The Medical Care in the Crosshairs report provides an overview of attacks against medical and humanitarian missions, drawing on both international databases and analysis as well as MSF’s own experience.

This year will mark ten years since the UN Security Council adopted resolution 2286 – a motion that was adopted in the aftermath of the attack against MSF hospital in Afghanistan, 3 October 2015. The resolution was a strong condemnation of attacks against health facilities, and medical personnel, and stood as a reminder to states and non-state armed groups of their legal responsibility to ensure the protection of medical missions. In 2024, UNSC resolution 2730 further reaffirmed the obligation to protect humanitarian staff.

However, ten years since both UNSC resolutions 2286 and 2730, the outlook is grim: attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel have increased, impunity and lack of accountability for attacks seem to have been dangerously normalised, as warring parties and states continue to erode the credibility of international humanitarian law.

In 2025, the World Health Organization's Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA) reported a total of 1,330 attacks on medical facilities, resulting in 1,980 deaths. This marked a significant increase in fatalities among medical personnel in conflict zones, which doubled from 944 in 2024. Sudan was the most affected country, accounting for 1,620 killings, followed by Palestine with 124 killings, Syria with 41 deaths, and Ukraine with 19 deaths.
This report was initially developed to support ongoing engagement and mobilisation efforts by both MSF Netherlands and MSF Spain with relevant stakeholders for the protection of the medical mission.