Iraq: MSF works on dual front of COVID-19 and lifesaving medical care in Mosul

Iraq has long suffered from war and political instability. The most recent conflict ended in 2017, when Mosul was recaptured after almost three years under the control of the Islamic State (IS) group. Three years later, the consequences of the conflicts in Mosul are still evident. One is the terrible impact on medical care, as many health facilities … Read more

Syria: Life in an open-air prison: living under the bombs in Idlib

Abu Fadel, Hassan and Iman… all three are living in Idlib governorate in northwest Syria. Like 2.7 million other Syrians, they’ve been displaced within the country several times, and some of them ended up in Idlib. The last rebel stronghold, bombed in massive airstrikes led by the Syrian army and its allies, Idlib has become home to a … Read more

South Sudan: Intense fighting in eastern South Sudan once again forces thousands to flee

JUBA – Thousands of people have fled into the bush in the Greater Pibor Administrative area in eastern South Sudan as intense fighting over several days yet again threatens the lives of entire communities, says Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The new and brutal rise in intercommunal clashes has led MSF to suspend our medical activities in Pibor after most … Read more

Out of sight, people suffer from rise in violence in eastern Burkina Faso

Op-ed by Abdallah Hussein, MSF head of mission in Burkina Faso While COVID-19 makes headlines around the world, less visible humanitarian crises continue to deteriorate. In the villages of Burkina Faso’s eastern region, killings, abductions and looting are now a regular occurrence. This is one of the areas most affected by the armed conflict between Burkino Faso’s national security … Read more

Yemen: “We have a lot of people that die quickly” of COVID-19 in Yemen

A car drove up to the low, white building that is the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) COVID-19 treatment centre in Aden, southwestern Yemen. In it was a man aged around 60 who was coughing and struggling for breath. He managed to heave himself into a wheelchair and then the team took him down to the … Read more

South Sudan: Renewed violence in Pieri kills and wounds dozens, including MSF staff

JUBA – It is with great sadness that Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirms that a South Sudanese member of staff was killed, and two more were injured, during intense fighting that erupted over the weekend in and around Pieri, a town in Jonglei State in northeastern South Sudan where MSF runs a primary healthcare … Read more

Palestine: Like a virus, violence spreads in the West Bank amid COVID-19

A full lockdown has been in place in the West Bank for more than three weeks, with over 300 people confirmed to have COVID-19 in Palestine. The harshness of these security measures, intended to prevent the virus from spreading further, is impacting the lives of more than 3.2 million people living in the West Bank. But while millions … Read more

Burkina Faso: Four questions on the unprecedented humanitarian emergency in Burkina Faso

Isabelle Defourny, MSF Director of Operations, was recently in Burkina Faso and raises the alarm on the humanitarian situation in the most conflict-affected areas of the country. 1. What’s the extent of the humanitarian crisis and violence in Burkina Faso? The first attacks claimed by jihadi groups in Burkina Faso took place in 2015. The extremely rapid … Read more

Syria: Displaced people face a desperate situation in Idlib

Over the three past months, almost one million people, according to the UN, have been displaced by bombing and shelling in Idlib province, northwestern Syria. Displaced people, many of whom have been forced to move several times, face a desperate situation. “On the news and on social media, we see how the whole world is concerned … Read more

Syria: Horrific day of indiscriminate attacks on civilians in Idlib

BRUSSELS – Indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas had predictably horrific consequences yesterday in Idlib governorate, Syria. Three hospitals near the frontlines that are supported by Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) received 185 wounded, and 18 patients who were dead-on-arrival. “We do not know how to make them stop indiscriminate attacks, and we do not know how … Read more