In an open letter published on Monday 16 September 2013, a coalition of over 50 eminent doctors warns of a medical catastrophe in Syria and calls for medical and humanitarian access to those suffering. In the debate around chemical weapons and military st The letter is signed by Dr Unni Karunakara, International President of Médecins … Read more
Participants: Dr. Unni Karunakara, international president, MSF Arjan Hehenkamp, general director, MSF Operational Center Amsterdam Transcript (check against audio) Michael Goldfarb (Media Relations Manager, MSF-USA): Thank you very much for joining us today. Welcome to this media briefing with Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). My name is Michael Goldfarb. I am the media … Read more
In 2013 the outlook in Syria was bleak. But the reality is that everything can get worse. In 2014, as the conflict entered its fourth year, the situation has deteriorated even further. There have been 200,000 fatalities, 1 million wounded, 3 million who have sought refuge across the borders, and over 7 million displaced: evidence … Read more
Excellencies, distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues:We cannot overstate the human cost of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa: the death, the fear, and the impact on local communities and on national health systems. At a time when Ebola case numbers are notably lower, we—collectively—continue to fail patients and those who remain at risk of contracting … Read more
As Syria enters its fifth year of conflict , the war continues to be defined by brutal violence that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and half the population has fled either within Syria or into neighbouring countries. Syrian Cities are besieged and cut off from … Read more
Speech delivered by Dr Joanne Liu, MSF International President Palais des Nations, MSF side event 6pm, 20 May 2015 The Ebola epidemic in West Africa is one of MSF’s biggest emergency operations in our 44-year history. We launched an unprecedented response to an exceptional outbreak. MSF teams have treated more than 5,000 Ebola patients, one-third … Read more
If you ask the proverbial ‘man on the street’ where the greatest health needs in the world are, most will think of the poorest countries. Economists and politicians who allocate development funding for health do the same. But they are wrong. It may surprise you that over half of MSF’s medical programmes are in countries … Read more
1. What did you see in Lesbos and Idomeni regarding the refugees and their living conditions? I find it disgraceful that in the 21st century, in a European country, the basic human and decent reception conditions and not met. There is right now no more food distributions in Lesbos and insufficient shelter options for the … Read more
MSF calls for State activation of the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission to investigate Afghanistan bombing On Saturday morning, MSF patients and staff killed in Kunduz joined the countless number of people who have been killed around the world in conflict zones and referred to as ‘collateral damage’ or as an ‘inevitable consequence of war’. International … Read more
Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) wants to express its frustration that, in an already dramatic context of protracted violence and displacement, the warning we formulated a year ago to the humanitariancommunity and donors did not lead to any structural or decisive action to prevent a countrywide shortage of essential drugs. The conflict … Read more