War/Militarism
War is inextricably linked to health, and yet it is very infrequently considered as a public health issue. Not only does war kill, mame, and traumatize, but it also has ecological and environmental impacts that themselves negate health. It is incongruous with the mission of public health to support war, and yet public health remains silent in war’s midst. Here we highlight the impacts of war on health, and frame war as a global health issue.
November 20, 2024
Poem: My morning cup of coffee
In the quiet early hours of the day I pour myself a cup of coffee And through my bleary swollen eyes I catch up to what has unfurled In the world as I have slept I see images of crumbling buildings in war torn zones And children with missing limbs I…
October 19, 2024
Sudan’s Forgotten War
Ezzeldin Saleh and colleagues, in the October 2024 Lancet, draw attention to the horrific and unprecedented conflict in Sudan that has caused immense suffering for the Sudanese people since April 2023. Nearly 11 million people have been internally displaced, and 2.3 million have sought refugee status in neighboring countries. The economy has collapsed, and famine…
September 6, 2024
UW Alumna Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi Killed by Israeli Military
Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Psychology and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures in June of this year. The activist was killed by Israel’s military on September 6 at an International Solidarity Movement protest against Israeli settlement expansions in the West Bank, an occupied territory in Palestine. Eygi…
July 23, 2024
Gazan Death Toll Four Times Greater Than Official Estimates, According to Multiple Experts
In mid-June, the Gazan Ministry of Health reported a cumulative death toll of nearly 39,000 people attributed to the Israeli assault on Gaza, including 15,000 children. However, other credible researchers estimate that the true death toll is likely over four times higher than reported. Susan Abulhawa, a Gazan refugee, scientist, author and human rights activist…
July 10, 2024
Crisis in Sudan: Urgent Call for De-Escalation in El Fasher
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is at the epicenter of escalating conflicts in Sudan, now a battleground between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). With over a million civilians, many displaced and on the verge of starvation, the situation in El Fasher demands immediate global attention. This violence stems…
June 13, 2024
Israel’s Dahiya doctrine intentionally violates International Humanitarian Law
The Israeli response to the brutal October 7, 2023 Hamas killings and hostage-taking has been widely criticized by the international community. The immense numbers of civilian deaths and injuries have prompted human rights experts to condemn Israel for its defense strategy that disproportionately harms civilians. The International Court of Justice ordered Israel to prevent acts…
March 8, 2024
Gaza – “Not a normal war”
No war is the same. But the Gaza War is particularly unprecedented – on many fronts – the enormous death toll, targeting of children, intentional famine, unprecedented damage to health workers and facilities, emerging threats of infectious disease outbreaks. Several recent articles and posts underscore how horrific this war has been, from the brutality of…
February 10, 2024
Defunding UNWRA in Gaza is ‘collective punishment’ – Lancet & Health Justice Organizations
Health and political leaders globally have condemned defunding of UNRWA, the principle lifeline for the people of Gaza. Sharmila Devi, in the current issue of Lancet, quotes UN leaders and aid agency leaders (including WHO) “no other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2·2 million people in Gaza…
January 27, 2024
Wars are never necessary: Gaza is the best example
This short Lancet piece by Souza, Buss, and Alcazar notes that since the Gaza war began in October 2023, “nothing has been resolved and all impasses remain. The costs of lives lost and survivors’ lives destroyed forever are immense. The billions of dollars spent on killing so far could have saved lives, fed and immunised…
October 16, 2023
Gaza: The Past Nine Days for Me
Rahmeh is a Palestinian-Jordanian living in Amman, and was our MPH Graduation speaker in 2022 The past nine days have been an excruciating journey through time, immersing me in the anguish and fury of my ancestors who lived the Nakba [catastrophe]. They served as a potent reminder of my childhood, prompting a fundamental…
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