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	Dr Synga runs a hospital in the midst of conflict by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)   May 2009   Tharcysse Synga is the only doctor in the Minova hospital in South Kivu. He remembers those days in late 2008 when the place was hosting scores of war wounded and displaced persons. He had to perform up to 16 surgical operations a day.   It is a bright January morning. The glorious view on Lake Kivu and the surrounding blue hills would make a proud advertisement for any upscale clinic in Europe. But the hospital"s cramped wards and the long queue of outpatients waiting for the only doctor around tell a different story, as do the overpopulated camps for displaced persons in the background. This story unfolds at the Minova hospital – located in what was a war zone until a few weeks ago. Dr Tharcysse Synga, 35, has not had a single day off in months.   It was a relatively quiet day. The only surgery the doctor had to perform was a Caesarean for a first pregnancy. A healthy little girl was born. This is nothing compared with the up to 16 operations a day of the past months. "One day, we even did 17," Dr Tharcysse remembers. "But that was too much for the material available at the hospital. The laundry had to work really fast to recycle everything so we could operate on new patients."   Making choices about life and death was a terribly painful experience. "Many war wounded were brought in at the same time, and the seriousness of their wounds varied. We had to prioritize those for whom there was hope – serious cases, but with hope – and treat lighter cases afterwards. For very serious cases, though, we could do almost nothing. Just be with them till the end."   In October and November 2008, the influx of displaced people and war wounded to Minova coincided with a strike by the hospital staff. Dr Tharcysse was left with only four trainees to handle everything: the consultations, the surgeries, the ultrasounds, etc. Rest "was not the order of the day," and nights were spent at the hospital "because it would have been risky to move after dark in case of a medical emergency," Dr Tharcysse explains. "This is not exactly what I had in mind when I accepted this job, one year earlier," he acknowledges with a smile.   To this young doctor trained in Kisangani and Kinshasa, working in a small hospital, somewhere in a remote province, seemed a logical choice: "When I began studying medicine, I wanted to contribute to relieving the suffering of my brothers and sisters. I thought that this suffering would be more tangible in small towns, particularly those located in war areas." The Kivus, on the eastern border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with their long history of bloody conflicts, looked like the right destination. As for the hospital in Minova, serving a population of nearly 160,000, it was badly in need of qualified, motivated health professionals.   Dr Tharcysse remembers that the last months of 2008 were "quite dramatic." Like the day when the fighting came too close for comfort. "As you can see from its location, the hospital stands out. The patients started panicking, for fear of being targeted. So, with the orderlies, we had to carry them on our backs to their places, where they felt safer." All the foreign humanitarian agencies had left Minova by then. Nonetheless, "the surgical kits donated by the ICRC to the hospital made a huge difference," the doctor reckons.   Sexual violence: a "barometer of conflict.   Another welcome contribution by the ICRC was the post-rape kits, which, if administered less than 72 hours after the rape, minimize the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.   From his 18-month experience at the Minova hospital, Dr Tharcysse has learned to what extent sexual violence can cause horrific and deliberate trauma. "I remember a lady of 69 who had been raped by eight armed men. You can imagine the damage to her body."   "Moreover, rape is a barometer of conflict," he explains. "I have seen the numbers of women victims of sexual violence coming to my hospital go up and down with the fighting." By this token, the doctor is doubtful about the latest cessation of hostilities declared by the main belligerents in the Kivus. He says he has treated 30 women victims of rape in December, and more than 30 others in January, which had not come to an end yet. "Yesterday alone, we had seven new cases," says Dr Tharcysse deploringly. Visit the related web page
	UN must Act to Prevent Rape in War by Amnesty / Human Rights Watch USA   June 2009   The United Nations Security Council is failing to make good on its promises to stop rape in war, Human Rights Watch said today. The council should immediately create a high-level coordinator for efforts to prevent and punish sexual violence in conflict, the organization said.   On June 19, 2008, the Security Council adopted the ground-breaking resolution 1820, spelling out concrete obligations of individual countries and United Nations entities to prevent and punish sexual violence when it is used as a weapon of war. But such violence in many places is unabated or worse, and the Security Council has not made use of its powers to stop it. The resolution included explicit commitments to prosecute sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers and to oblige peacekeepers to prioritize the protection of women and girls, but to little effect.   "The Security Council has been all talk and no action when it comes to protecting women in war zones," said Marianne Mollmann, women"s rights advocate at Human Rights Watch. "Even after the council members" May visit to Congo - which currently has the worst record on rape in war - it"s back to business as usual."   The Security Council will discuss the protection of civilians on June 26, and sexual violence in conflict on July 17. Human Rights Watch and other groups have expressed hope that these debates will move the council closer to the creating a high-level post to address the human rights and needs of women in armed conflict.   The 2008 resolution on sexual violence followed a broader set of commitments on women in conflict made in 2000 in Security Council resolution 1325, including a call to include women in peace processes and negotiations. A recent study by UNIFEM, the UN fund for women, shows little if any movement on these issues as well. Many governments and representatives of private groups have said that the lack of a high-level spokesperson on women in armed conflict at the UN secretariat is a major reason for these failures.   "The UN needs a coordinator on the issue of women and armed conflict, at a level that signals accountability and commitment - a special representative or envoy to the secretary-general," Mollmann said. "Momentum has been building for an appointment of this kind, but it needs to happen now.   May 2009   The United States Senate should move beyond collecting testimony in its commitment to help prevent and punish rape in conflict, Human Rights Watch said today in a written submission to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The US should provide active global leadership and press for international action, Human Rights Watch said.   Marianne Mollmann, women"s rights advocate at Human Rights Watch says "sexual violence in conflict is nothing new. We know it happens. We know it goes unpunished. Now is the time for action, not words."   Sexual violence against women and girls has been a horrifying characteristic of all recent armed conflicts and many post-conflict situations. Human Rights Watch has documented this violence in countries ranging from Darfur and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the former Yugoslavia. The research also shows that the perpetrators of these crimes rarely are brought to justice. In many conflict areas, seeking justice for sexual violence is difficult, often dangerous, and frequently very costly.   "Victims of violence often confront a gutted, corrupt, or untrained police force and justice system," said Mollmann. "In some cases, the police are afraid of investigating crimes committed by soldiers or militia, and certainly can"t provide protection for the victims of abuse."   The United States is in a strong position to engage other countries on this issue, both because of its permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, and because of its foreign aid to conflict-ridden countries.   Last June, the Security Council for the first time, unequivocally mandated the United Nations to address sexual violence as a weapon of war and a threat to international peace and security.   "Stopping rape in war is as bipartisan as it gets," said Mollmann. "The US Senate can come together and speak with one voice to benefit women worldwide by urging the United Nations to put its money where its mouth is and appoint a special representative to tackle this issue head on."   * Below is a link to a site profiling the latest news on UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict. Visit the related web page
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