Healthocide? Why the attack on the Pasteur Institute of Iran is more than a war crime
The Pasteur Institute of Iran was bombed by the US and Israel on April 2, targeting a critical public health institution. The attack is part of a broader pattern in modern warfare where healthcare infrastructure is deliberately targeted.
The Pasteur Institute of Iran, a 106-year-old public health institution, was bombed by the US and Israel on April 2. The institute is crucial for vaccine production, infectious disease surveillance, and epidemiological research in the Middle East. This attack is not an isolated incident; it reflects a growing trend in modern warfare where healthcare infrastructure is targeted. Historical examples include Mongol forces catapulting plague-infected corpses into a besieged city in 1346 and British officers distributing smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans in 1763. In recent years, similar attacks have occurred in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Syria, raising concerns under international humanitarian law. The bombing of the Pasteur Institute is a brazen attack on Iran's public health infrastructure.
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