Scuttling international humanitarian assistance
Since the return of Donald Trump to the White House, he and his Republican allies have worked to destroy the U.S. government’s overseas humanitarian aid programs.
This action flies in the face of the U.S. government’s lengthy record of humanitarian assistance to people of other nations whose lives had been blighted by war, poverty, and illness. From the Marshall Plan to rebuild war-devastated Europe, to Senator George McGovern’s Food for Peace project to feed the hungry, to massive international public health campaigns to eradicate global diseases, U.S. aid programs have played an important role in alleviating human suffering around the world.
Read more…Landmines are everyday weapons of mass destruction
by Kati Juva
IPPNW and ICAN have a meritorious history in opposing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Anti-personnel landmines can be considered everyday weapons of mass destruction. They have killed more than 120,000 people from 1999 to 2017, and in 2023 more than 5,700 casualties have been recorded.
Anti-personnel landmines are totally inhumane weapons. They do not distinguish between soldiers and civilians; thus, they violate the Geneva Conventions. Over 80% of casualties are civilians, and 40% of those are children. Landmines also continue to kill and maim people for years after the end of conflict.
Read more…Read the full statement here and below. 13 June, 2025.
The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) condemns Israel’s military strikes on Iran and calls for an immediate ceasefire to prevent further escalation and the loss of civilian life.
Iran is not currently assessed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or the US government to have an active nuclear weapons program. This attack by a nuclear-armed state undermines ongoing US-led diplomatic efforts to restore non-proliferation efforts in the region.
Read more…Read the statement in full below and here.
The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) unequivocally condemns the continued and escalating attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system and medical personnel by Israeli forces. The ongoing deliberate targeting of hospitals, clinics, ambulances, and healthcare workers has resulted in catastrophic loss of life and constitutes grave violations of international humanitarian law and the fundamental principles of medical neutrality.
Read more…Effects of nuclear war on public health
[The following statement was delivered on behalf of IPPNW by Dr. Andy Haines at the World Health Assembly on 26 May. A WHA resolution calling for an updated WHO study on the effects of nuclear war on health and health services was passed by a vote of 86-14, with 28 abstentions.]
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, firmly believes the health imperative to avoid nuclear war is as urgent as it has ever been.
Read more…[The South Asian affiliates of IPPNW have released the following statement on the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.]
We, the South Asian affiliates of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), the recipient of Nobel Peace Prize, are relieved at the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. We are further satisfied at the reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that there has been no radiation leakage from any nuclear facility in Pakistan. However, we feel that there is an urgent need to take steps for lasting peace in the region. We cannot ignore the possibility of use of nuclear weapons in case of any escalation in tension in future. The very presence of nuclear weapons is fraught with danger of their use. The hypothesis that the nuclear weapons serve as deterrent is totally flawed. Therefore, what is needed is that a collective effort be made to take steps for a lasting peace. These include:
1. Strengthening of SAARC for a persistent collective effort.
2. Develop collective security for the region to check terrorism in any country.
3. Joint monitoring of the situation in case of any complaint of terrorist camps or violation of international border by any country of the region.
4. Resumption of bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan.
5. No interference in the affairs of other countries.
6. Declare south Asia as Nuclear Weapons free Zone and appeal to Pakistan to adopt No First Use of nuclear weapons doctrine.
7. The civil society in the region should become more pro-active to impress upon the governments for peaceful resolution of issues.
Dr Arun Mitra, President, Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD)
Dr Tipu Sultan, President, Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development (PDPD).
Dr Kamrul H Khan, President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Bangladesh (PSRB)
Dr Arun Dixit, Senior Vice President, Physicians for Social Responsibility Nepal (PSRN)
Dr Asoka Hettiarachchi, President, Srilankan Doctors for Peace and Development (SDPD)
Find the press release in full here.
The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) called for an immediate cease fire in South Asia after an initial round of cross border attacks by India and Pakistan early Wednesday morning South Asia time.
“Conflict between these two nuclear armed states carries the risk of a catastrophic nuclear conflict,” said IPPNW Executive Director Michael Christ. “The world might be lucky and dodge the nuclear bullet again, but we cannot continue to play nuclear roulette like this. The only way to guarantee that we do not stumble into a nuclear holocaust is to eliminate these weapons before they eliminate us.”
Read more…The world needs Hibakusha testimonies again
[Dr. Masao Tomonaga is the honorary director of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Hospital and a survivor of the US atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. As a physician, he has specialized in medical care for the Hibakusha, whose organization was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. A founding member of IPPNW’s Nagasaki affiliate, he is on the organizing committee of the federation’s 24th World Congress, which will be held in his city in October. We interviewed Dr. Tomonaga about his experience at the Nobel ceremony and his expectations for the Congress.]
Read more…Delivered by Dr. Ira Helfand, IPPNW Board Member, at the Third Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, 30 April 2025.
Distinguished delegates, esteemed colleagues, and honored guests,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. I am not a diplomat. I am an Emergency Room doctor who has spent the last 50 years speaking with patients and their families. So let me talk to you now as I would to the family of a critically ill patient.
Because that is the situation we face. The world, for which we are collectively responsible, is in terrible danger. Nine countries, five of them parties to this Treaty, have chosen to build arsenals of nuclear weapons that effectively hold all of humanity, including their own citizens, hostage. They want these weapons because they make them strong and allow them to bully the rest of the world. They justify these weapons with the illusion that they offer security. That is a dangerous lie. These weapons are the greatest threat to our survival and pose an existential threat to civilization.
Read more…
Bimal Khadka
Bjorn Hilt
Charles K. Johnson
Gunnar Westberg
IPPNW
John Loretz
Lawrence Wittner
Maria Valenti
mollymcgint
Sue Wareham
Tilman Ruff
Tim Wright
Xanthe Hall
IPPNW peace and health blog 