The value of alleviating suffering and dignifying death in war and humanitarian crises

Abstract

Despite a vast literature on humanitarian crisis response, 1 UN Refugee AgencyEmergency handbook. https://emergency.unhcr.orgDate: 2015 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar , 2 International Committee of the Red CrossInternational Federation of Red CrossCode of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief. https://cms.emergency.unhcr.org/documents/11982/44705/Code+of+Conduct+for+the+International+Red+Cross+and+Red+Crescent+Movement+and+Non-Governmental+Organizations+in+Disaster+Relief+%28ICRC+and+IFRC%29/d362b2d1-6cae-4067-bc78-9231603c3cb5#_ga=2.120950925.427408817.1647449503-1949508229.1647449503Date: 1994 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar , 3 HAP InternationalPeople in AidThe Sphere ProjectCore Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. https://cms.emergency.unhcr.org/documents/11982/44705/The+Core+Humanitarian+Standard+on+Quality+and+Accountability+%28HAP+International%2C+People+In+Aid+and+the+Sphere+Project%29/53da61c9-7686-4458-b043-0fb441798338#_ga=2.129931145.427408817.1647449503-1949508229.1647449503Date: 2014 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar , 4 UN General Assembly58/114. Strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. https://cms.emergency.unhcr.org/documents/11982/44705/General+Assembly+Resolution+58-114/ce5ba762-019e-477e-b3a8-0b53a5d558b9#_ga=2.125802383.427408817.1647449503-1949508229.1647449503Date: 2004 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar , 5 The Sphere ProjectThe Sphere handbook: humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response. https://handbook.spherestandards.org/en/sphere/#ch001Date: 2018 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar palliative care, pain relief, and care for the dying and bereaved need increased and urgent attention, 5 The Sphere ProjectThe Sphere handbook: humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response. https://handbook.spherestandards.org/en/sphere/#ch001Date: 2018 Date accessed: March 16, 2022 Google Scholar , 6 WHOIntegrating palliative care and symptom relief into the response to humanitarian emergencies and crises. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/274565Date: 2018 Date accessed: March 13, 2022 Google Scholar , 7 Waldman E Glass M A field manual for palliative care in humanitarian crises. Oxford University Press, Oxford2020 Google Scholar , 8 Nouvet E Sivaram M Bezanson K et al. Palliative care in humanitarian crisis: a review of the literature. J Int Humanitar Action. 2018; 3: 5 Google Scholar , 9 Schneider M Pautex S Chappuis F What do humanitarian emergency organizations do about palliative care? A systematic review. Med Confl Surviv. 2017; 33: 263-272 Google Scholar , 10 WHOEssential medicines in palliative care (prepared by the International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care). https://www.who.int/selection_medicines/committees/expert/19/applications/PalliativeCare_8_A_R.pdfDate: 2013 Date accessed: March 13, 2022 Google Scholar , 11 Powell RA Schwartz L Nouvet E et al. Palliative care in humanitarian crises: always something to offer. Lancet. 2017; 389: 1498-1499 Google Scholar particularly in the context of armed conflict. The Lancet Commission on the Value of Death12 Sallnow L Smith R Ahmedzai SH et al. Report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death: bringing death back into life. Lancet. 2022; 399: 837-884 Google Scholar challenged the medicalisation of dying and death and reaffirmed the moral injustice of the global palliative care and pain relief divide. 13 Knaul FM Farmer PE Krakauer EL et al. Alleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief—an imperative of universal health coverage: the Lancet Commission report. Lancet. 2018; 391: 1391-1454 Google Scholar The devastating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine raises the vital importance of these issues. 12 Sallnow L Smith R Ahmedzai SH et al. Report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death: bringing death back into life. Lancet. 2022; 399: 837-884 Google Scholar , 13 Knaul FM Farmer PE Krakauer EL et al. Alleviating the access abyss in palliative care and pain relief—an imperative of universal health coverage: the Lancet Commission report. Lancet. 2018; 391: 1391-1454 Google Scholar