Humanitarian aid starts at home

doi:10.1136/bmj.39017.430266.1F

BMJ 2006;333:1022 (11 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.39017.430266.1F

Letters

Humanitarian aid starts at home

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Humanitarian aid has become more politicised.¹Humanitarian workers can reverse this trend only if governmentsor decision makers are held accountable for their decisions.

ASSIST is a primary care service deliveringprimary care services solely for asylum seekers. It has seena huge upsurge in the numbers of failed asylum seekers in thepast year (which also is reflected nationally). For complexand varied reasons, most of these patients are or will becomedestitute. They still need health care at all levels despitenot being entitled to anything except in extremis because oftheir failed status. This client group is the most vulnerablein our society and yet often the most neglected and ignored.

The provision of humanitarian aid to those whoare most needy and how we respond to those who are most vulnerableare at the core of how we judge our own society. World disastersseem to . . . [Full text of this article]

Les Ashton, general practitioner

¹ ASSIST, Primary care service for asylum seekers, Leicester LE1 2NZ lesashton@ntlworld.com