Medical assistance to civilians during peacekeeping operations: wielding the double-edged sword

Peacekeeping operations have become the main operational activity of the ar med forces of the developed world over the past 10 years - a trend which ap pears likely to continuo Peacekeepers often remain deployed long after the armed conflict has ceased to help reconstruct civilian infrastructure. If i s often possible to use the excess capacity of medical support units deploy ed with military forces to provide help to the local population. While this is appropriate immediately after a conflict when civilian clinics are over whelmed, in the more prolonged reconstruction phase the seemingly simple cl inical imperative to treat as many patients as possible becomes more comple x.