![[Afghanistan] Thousands of women had to wait for even three hours to cast their vote.](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/200410111.jpg.webp?itok=0cUtajV- "Using clinics as polling stations \"not a good idea\" - ICRC")
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern over the use of health facilities for voter registration or as polling stations in Afghanistan's upcoming presidential elections, saying this could jeopardise the security of health workers and put patients at risk.
Whilst there is no provision in international humanitarian law and/or the Geneva Conventions banning the use of health centres in electoral processes, ICRC said insecurity in large swaths of Afghanistan would necessitate the presence of military forces to protect polling stations.
"If you have a strong presence of security forces - be they national or international - they do represent a legitimate target," Reto Stocker, head of the ICRC delegation in Kabul, told IRIN.
Taliban insurgents have vowed to disrupt the elections and have warned people not to participate.
"We do hope that - be it through a ruling of the Supreme Court or a presidential decree - it would be made very clear that it is not a good idea to have health facilities used for electoral purposes," Stocker said.
The ICRC said it would encourage all warring parties, particularly the armed opposition, to respect the impartiality of health centres and health workers and not attack them.
Two clinics destroyed
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said two health centres had been attacked and destroyed by the insurgents because they had been used as voter registration sites.
"One health centre was destroyed in [southern] Kandahar Province and another was attacked in [eastern] Kunar Province," said Mohammad Amin Fatimie, the health minister.
"I have talked very seriously to the president [Hamid Karzai] to instruct the election commission to stop using health centres for election purposes," he said, adding that he would ask the Supreme Courte to intervene if his request was not accepted.
Fatimie's concerns were dismissed by officials at the Independent Election Commission (IEC) who said hospitals and other health facilities would be used as voting stations in the August presidential elections.
"According to Article Six of the electoral law, all government and public bodies are obliged to facilitate and support the election," Noor Mohammad Noor, an IEC spokesman, told IRIN.
"We have no report of any health centre having been attacked because it was used in the electoral process," he said, adding that health activities would not be disrupted during voting in August.
Insurgents and other criminal groups have torched dozens of health facilities and killed or abducted dozens of health workers over the past four years, according to aid agencies.
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Whilst there is no provision in international humanitarian law and/or the Geneva Conventions banning the use of health centres in electoral processes, ICRC said insecurity in large swaths of Afghanistan would necessitate the presence of military forces to protect polling stations.
"If you have a strong presence of security forces - be they national or international - they do represent a legitimate target," Reto Stocker, head of the ICRC delegation in Kabul, told IRIN.
Taliban insurgents have vowed to disrupt the elections and have warned people not to participate.
"We do hope that - be it through a ruling of the Supreme Court or a presidential decree - it would be made very clear that it is not a good idea to have health facilities used for electoral purposes," Stocker said.
The ICRC said it would encourage all warring parties, particularly the armed opposition, to respect the impartiality of health centres and health workers and not attack them.
Two clinics destroyed
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said two health centres had been attacked and destroyed by the insurgents because they had been used as voter registration sites.
"One health centre was destroyed in [southern] Kandahar Province and another was attacked in [eastern] Kunar Province," said Mohammad Amin Fatimie, the health minister.
"I have talked very seriously to the president [Hamid Karzai] to instruct the election commission to stop using health centres for election purposes," he said, adding that he would ask the Supreme Courte to intervene if his request was not accepted.
Fatimie's concerns were dismissed by officials at the Independent Election Commission (IEC) who said hospitals and other health facilities would be used as voting stations in the August presidential elections.
"According to Article Six of the electoral law, all government and public bodies are obliged to facilitate and support the election," Noor Mohammad Noor, an IEC spokesman, told IRIN.
"We have no report of any health centre having been attacked because it was used in the electoral process," he said, adding that health activities would not be disrupted during voting in August.
Insurgents and other criminal groups have torched dozens of health facilities and killed or abducted dozens of health workers over the past four years, according to aid agencies.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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