To express its solidarity, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) launched its Humanitarian Fund in 2010, initially in response to the Haiti earthquake, and its #NursesforPeace campaign after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  #NursesforPeace has evolved to raise funds for nurses working on the frontlines of emergency situations throughout the world, and to draw public attention to the associated threats to public health care systems. Through its dedicated humanitarian efforts and funding, ICN has already supported nurses in multiple crisis zones, including Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, Myanmar, Afghanistan and Sudan.

A message from ICN CEO Howard Catton

ICN stands in solidarity with nurses around the world who are working on the frontlines of humanitarian health care emergencies, whether human-induced wars and political conflicts, or natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and droughts. ICN is immensely proud to support these courageous and resilient nurses who continue to provide much-needed care despite the personal dangers they face in their work.

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ICN has consistently condemned the ongoing and increasing targeting of health care workers and facilities around the globe, and calls on the international community to denounce such actions in the strongest possible terms.

ICN President Dr Pamela Cipriano has written to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, asking for firm and decisive action to be taken to prevent the continuing illegal attacks on nurses and health care facilities in war zones around the globe, and warned against the normalization of such attacks.

ICN has continued to liaise with its network of National Nurses Associations in conflict zones and is offering support and solidarity.

In a recent interview, Abir Kurdi Alame, President of the Order of Nurses of Lebanon, told ICN about the widespread destruction and the nurses caught up on the frontline.

In a series of interviews with international media over the last few weeks, ICN CEO Howard Catton warned against the normalization of such attacks in the Middle East and other parts of the world. He emphasized the urgent necessity of enforcing International Humanitarian Law to enable nurses to continue their vital work. In an interview with CNN Türk, Mr Catton reiterated that peace and health are closely linked and that nurses should not be expected to risk their lives without the protection owed to them and other health professionals under international law.

The support for #NursesforPeace demonstrated by nursing colleagues worldwide, reminds us that all nurses have a part to play in safeguarding peace and health in times of conflict, whether through clinical and community care, contributions to health research and policy, or by raising our collective voice for change.