International humanitarian law is routinely being broken with impunity in conflicts globally. Populism tinged with anti-refugee discourse has led to a weakening of asylum and refugee law in many countries. 1 While special protection of hospitals and ambulances was previously largely respected by warring parties under the Geneva Conventions, attacks on health care have become the norm.2 With conflict-related deaths at a 26-year record high 3 and more than 110 million people forcibly displaced worldwide at the end of June, 2023, 4 the humanitarian system is overwhelmed, despite increases in humanitarian support from public and private donors. 5 As one of us (PBS) wrote in The Lancet in 2017: “An unprecedented number of humanitarian emergencies of large magnitude and duration is causing the largest number of people in a generation to be forcibly displaced. Yet the existing humanitarian system was created for a different time and is no longer fit for purpose.” 6