Burkina Faso: Security and living conditions have deteriorated at ‘blistering speed’ for over 750,000 people

Burkina Faso faced increased levels of violence in 2019, leading to an exponential growth of population displacement throughout the year. The number of internally displaced people has grown from an estimated 47,000 people in December 2018 to over 765,000 in February 2020, according to OCHA; more than four in five people are women or children … Read more

Syria: People in Idlib race to flee airstrikes as ‘safe’ area shrinks

In northwest Syria, airstrikes combined with a ground offensive conducted by Syrian government forces and their Russian allies have triggered a huge wave of displacement in the last opposition-held area in the country. With towns and camps west of Aleppo hit by shelling in recent days, roads are packed with cars and trucks as people flee towards a … Read more

Syria: Advancing frontlines, mass exodus and reduced access to hospitals in Idlib

The military offensive carried out by the government of Syria and its allies in southern Idlib continues, worsening an already critical situation for the population in northwest Syria. In the space of two months (December 2019 and January 2020), nearly 390,000 people have fled from their homes or from the camps they had already been … Read more

Syria: Afraid of the bombs: why people discuss the weather in northwestern Syria

Intense military offensives by the Government of Syria and its allies in southern Idlib governorate, Syria, involving shelling, aerial bombing and ground offensives, have resulted in a massive new movement of people to escape the war zone. The northern part of Idlib, near the Turkish border, already hosts around 1.5 million vulnerable people and, according to the … Read more

Haiti: Sunday morning in Tabarre emergency trauma hospital

Since its reopening on 27 November 2019, people have been arriving at MSF’s hospital in the Tabarre area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Specialising in emergency trauma care, the hospital reached its initial capacity of 25 beds in its first two weeks. The medical needs reflect a high level of violence as a political and economic crisis continues in the … Read more

Venezuelans in Colombia: an unattended crisis

The migration of Venezuelans into Colombia represents the second largest population movement in the world, yet the international community is largely ignoring the dire situation of the migrants and asylum seekers. The humanitarian response remains severely limited, particularly in rural areas affected by armed conflict and criminal dynamics. In recent years, more than 1.6 million Venezuelans have crossed … Read more

DRC: Extra humanitarian assistance urgently needed in southern North Kivu crisis

KINSHASA – For years, the territories of Masisi, Walikale and Rutshuru, in the southern part of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, have been plagued with armed violence and banditry. In the past months, these armed clashes have intensified, further aggravating the dire humanitarian situation, leading to significant numbers of displaced people and worrying signs of malnutrition, sexual … Read more

Yemen: MSF hospital partially destroyed in Mocha attack

SANA’A – On Wednesday evening, an aerial attack in Mocha, southwestern Yemen, partially destroyed a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières, when the aerial attack hit the surrounding buildings, including a military warehouse. At the time of the attack, around 30 patients and 35 staff were present in the hospital. Fortunately, no casualties were reported among them. … Read more

Syria: Blast in Syria’s Idlib region causes multiple casualties

BRUSSELS – Continued conflict in the Idlib region of northwestern Syria is creating a huge need for medical care. A massive explosion in Darkoush town in the afternoon of Thursday 31 October resulted in 12 casualties being rushed for urgent treatment to a nearby hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). A building near the centre of Darkoush town exploded, … Read more

Yemen: No true accountability three years after bombing of MSF-supported hospital

The newly-released findings of the Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) – the UK and USA-supported body appointed by the Saudi and Emirati-led Coalition (SELC) to investigate incidents in Yemen – have once again failed to provide true accountability for the victims of strikes on protected medical facilities in Yemen. The JIAT’s latest findings, released in … Read more