Don’t forget the humanitarian paradox at home
van Tulleken talks of the humanitarian paradox, but let’s not overstate it—the efforts of healthcare providers do not always exacerbate the problem of refugee camps. The basic healthcare provided in refugee camps in Europe is unlikely to have attracted many of the 1.2 million people who arrived in...
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| Format: | Journal article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2016
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| Summary: | van Tulleken talks of the humanitarian paradox, but let’s not overstate it—the efforts of healthcare providers do not always exacerbate the problem of refugee camps. The basic healthcare provided in refugee camps in Europe is unlikely to have attracted many of the 1.2 million people who arrived in 2015, most fleeing conflict zones.2 Nor has healthcare provision been the motive for other European states to refuse refugees; their borders closed efore healthcare arrived. Healthcare is not the solution to Europe’s collective failure to adequately accommodate refugees, but neither is it part of the problem. Medical humanitarian organisations working in the field are well attuned to their dual role in healthcare and advocacy. Doctors considering donating time or funds to organisations working for Europe’s refugees should not be put off by fear of paradox. |
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