A mural in Geneva denounces attacks on doctors and hospitals in war

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) presented a mural in Geneva that denounces attacks on doctors and hospitals in war zones. The two organisations chose to unveil the work on World Humanitarian Day, to draw attention to the fragility of humanitarian law at a time when conflicts increasingly affect health workers.

The mural refers to United Nations Resolution 2286, which is meant to guarantee the protection of doctors and humanitarian workers in armed conflicts. Yet it is a text violated daily. According to the World Health Organization, more than 900 attacks on hospitals and health personnel have been recorded worldwide since the start of the year, with nearly a thousand deaths. The areas most affected remain Ukraine, Lebanon and Gaza.

Micaela Serafini, president of Médecins Sans Frontières Switzerland, described to Telegiornale, the RSI news programme, the climate of insecurity in which health workers now operate: "Oggi andiamo al lavoro con la paura di entrare in ospedale per curare, di salire su un'ambulanza senza sapere se verremo fermati o bombardati" (English: "Today we go to work with the fear of entering a hospital to treat patients, of getting into an ambulance without knowing whether we will be stopped or bombed").

The work of Nevercrew

The mural is by Nevercrew, the artist duo formed by Ticino natives Christian Rebecchi and Pablo Togni. Rebecchi explains the meaning of the work: "In questo caso si trattava di parlare di responsabilità e di fragilità" (English: "In this case it was about talking about responsibility and fragility"). He then describes the image at the centre of the piece: "Da una parte fa da tetto, da protezione; allo stesso tempo, però, viene stracciato, viene distrutto dalla prepotenza di chi si disinteressa di queste regole" (English: "On one hand it acts as a roof, as protection; at the same time, though, it is torn apart, destroyed by the arrogance of those who disregard these rules").

Rebecchi hopes the mural will prompt those who see it to reflect further on the current historical period, "in cui tutti i diritti umani sono spesso calpestati e in cui determinati poteri si arrogano il diritto di passare sopra le vite umane e addirittura sopra le leggi internazionali" (English: "in which all human rights are often trampled and certain powers claim the right to override human lives and even international law").