Abstract
Explosive weapons are the leading cause of damage to healthcare facilities and cause the \r highest number of death or injury to healthcare personnel per attack. In addition to the people who experience direct effects of the explosion, hundreds or thousands of people in communities \r surrounding the healthcare facility also suffer because they can no longer access essential \r healthcare services as they did before. With increasingly advanced technology that allows the \r creation of more powerful weapons and the growing number of conflicts between state and non\r state armed groups embedded in urban environments surrounded by healthcare facilities and other civilian structures, it may seem that damage to healthcare facilities is an inevitable consequence of modern armed conflict. However, this is not the case. Explosive weapons are designed with specific effects in mind; these effects are predictable and damage can hardly be considered accidental. A better understanding and respect of international law on the part of armed groups and stronger enforcement of existing laws on the part of international bodies would significantly reduce the likelihood of attacks with explosive weapons. In this thesis, three case studies are analyzed through the Health: Science, Society, and Policy framework to find strengths, mistakes, and potential breaches of law on the part of healthcare workers and armed actors. Based on the lessons gleaned from these incidents and applicable scientific and legal principles, recommendations will be made to reduce the incidence and damage of attacks on healthcare workers and facilities with explosive weapons. Generally, these recommendations fall into the following categories: (A) Development and more appropriate use of explosive weapons based on their target and technical design, (B) better communication and mutual respect between healthcare workers, armed groups, and the surrounding population, and (C) a stronger commitment to investigating and prosecuting violence against healthcare workers.