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Cholera intervention in South Kivu

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What we do

Médecins Sans Frontières brings medical humanitarian assistance to victims of conflict, natural disasters, epidemics or healthcare exclusion.

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Medical Activities

MSF Measles Vaccination in DRC

Learn about how, why, and where MSF teams respond to different diseases around the world, and the challenges we face in providing treatment.

Crisis Settings

Aden besieged

Learn about the different contexts and situations in which MSF teams respond to provide care, including war and natural disaster settings, and how and why we adapt our activities to each.

COVID-19 Project in Mons, Belgium

Learn about our response and our work in depth on specific themes and events.

Where we work

In more than 70 countries, Médecins Sans Frontières provides medical humanitarian assistance to save lives and ease the suffering of people in crisis situations.

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Middle East & North Africa

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Europe & Central Asia

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Our offices around the world

Our offices around the world

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MSF Association

Our staff “own” and manage MSF, making sure that we stay true to our mission and principles, through the MSF Associations.

Access Campaign

We set up the MSF Access Campaign in 1999 to push for access to, and the development of, life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, diagnostic tests and vaccines for people in our programmes and beyond.

Staff blogs

Read stories from our staff as they carry out their work around the world.

Patient blogs

Hear directly from the inspirational people we help as they talk about their experiences dealing with often neglected, life-threatening diseases.

CRASH

Based in Paris, CRASH conducts and directs studies and analysis of MSF actions. They participate in internal training sessions and assessment missions in the field.

UREPH

Based in Geneva, UREPH (or Research Unit) aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action.

ARHP

Based in Barcelona, ARHP documents and reflects on the operational challenges and dilemmas faced by the MSF field teams.

MSF Analysis

Based in Brussels, MSF Analysis intends to stimulate reflection and debate on humanitarian topics organised around the themes of migration, refugees, aid access, health policy and the environment in which aid operates.

MSF Supply

This logistical and supply centre in Brussels provides storage of and delivers medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

MSF Logistique

This supply and logistics centre in Bordeaux, France, provides warehousing and delivery of medical equipment, logistics and drugs for international purchases for MSF missions.

Amsterdam Procurement Unit

This logistical centre in Amsterdam purchases, tests, and stores equipment including vehicles, communications material, power supplies, water-processing facilities and nutritional supplements.

Southern Africa Medical Unit

SAMU provides strategic, clinical and implementation support to various MSF projects with medical activities related to HIV and TB. This medical unit is based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Kenya Supply Unit

Regional logistic centre for the whole East Africa region

Brazilian Medical Unit

BRAMU specialises in neglected tropical diseases, such as dengue and Chagas, and other infectious diseases. This medical unit is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

MSF Medical Guidelines

Our medical guidelines are based on scientific data collected from MSF’s experiences, the World Health Organization (WHO), other renowned international medical institutions, and medical and scientific journals.

MSF Field Research

Find important research based on our field experience on our dedicated Field Research website.

Manson Unit

The Manson Unit is a London, UK-based team of medical specialists who provide medical and technical support, and conduct research for MSF.

Epicentre

Providing epidemiological expertise to underpin our operations, conducting research and training to support our goal of providing medical aid in areas where people are affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or excluded from health care.

Evaluation Units

Evaluation Units have been established in Vienna, Stockholm, and Paris, assessing the potential and limitations of medical humanitarian action, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of our medical humanitarian work.

LGBTQI+ Inclusion in Health Settings

MSF works with LGBTQI+ populations in many settings over the last 25-30 years. LGBTQI+ people face healthcare disparities with limited access to care and higher disease rates than the general population.

LUXOR

The Luxembourg Operational Research (LuxOR) unit coordinates field research projects and operational research training, and provides support for documentation activities and routine data collection.

Intersectional Benchmarking Unit

The Intersectional Benchmarking Unit collects and analyses data about local labour markets in all locations where MSF employs people.

MSF Academy for Healthcare

To upskill and provide training to locally-hired MSF staff in several countries, MSF has created the MSF Academy for Healthcare.

Humanitarian Law

This Guide explains the terms, concepts, and rules of humanitarian law in accessible and reader-friendly alphabetical entries.

MSF Paediatric Days

The MSF Paediatric Days is an event for paediatric field staff, policy makers and academia to exchange ideas, align efforts, inspire and share frontline research to advance urgent paediatric issues of direct concern for the humanitarian field.

MSF Foundation

The MSF Foundation aims to create a fertile arena for logistics and medical knowledge-sharing to meet the needs of MSF and the humanitarian sector as a whole.

DNDi

A collaborative, patients’ needs-driven, non-profit drug research and development organisation that is developing new treatments for neglected diseases, founded in 2003 by seven organisations from around the world.

Treating people injured during the protests in Lima — Following political protests across Peru, a 70-year-old patient is treated by MSF staff in Lima after being hit in the left temple by pellets fired by the police. Lima, Peru, January 2023.

A Year in Pictures 2023

War in Gaza:: find out how we're responding

War in Gaza: find out how we're responding

Photo Story5 December 2023

This collection of 58 images, taken between November 2022 and November 2023, highlights stories and voices from around the world where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is working.

Over the last 12 months, multiple acute humanitarian crises have emerged. Climate change continues to take a devastating toll on people's health and war has reached disastrous heights in several places. A brutal, deadly war has unfolded in Gaza, where attacks on health facilities put the lives of many of our staff and patients at risk. We mourn the loss of four Palestinian colleagues.

This image collection provides a glimpse into the medical and humanitarian activities carried out by MSF teams in over 75 countries during the past 12 months. From providing basic healthcare in Venezuela, to rescuing people from the Mediterranean Sea and raising awareness on TB among neighbourhoods in the Philippines, MSF has continued to assist people and communities in need.

From the tireless work of our staff to the resilience of patients fighting for their lives in difficult circumstances, these stories bear witness to the vital importance of worldwide access to healthcare. It is an essential need that should never be taken for granted, as emphasised in each and every one of these photographs.

Arsal - Cholera outbreak in Lebanon — A view of a refugee camp in Arsal, where MSF teams are responding to a large cholera outbreak. Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, November 2022.

Non Food Items distribution — Villagers carry items, including blankets and cooking items, as they walk back to their homes at a village near Sanghar, following severe flooding in the country. Sindh province, Pakistan, November 2022.

Mielizi camp, N'Djamena, Chad — Kati Abati braids Fidtma’s hair. Both women have taken refuge in Mielizi displacement camp from floods, first in Cameroon, and now in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena. Chad, December 2022.

Remnants of Home | Abdulshakour — Abdulshakour sits while his son stands beside him, carrying the bags that hold the few belongings his family managed to bring from home while fleeing the attacks on Rohingya people in Myanmar in August 2017. Abdulshakour now lives with his family, including his seven children, in the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp. Bangladesh, December 2022.

Bintou, Ivorian, 42 years old — A polaroid photo of Bintou (left) is inscribed, ‘Je dois être courageuse pour mes enfants’ (I have to be brave for my children’). Bintou, from Côte d’Ivoire, was among the survivors rescued from the Central Mediterranean Sea by MSF’s search and rescue boat Geo Barents. Central Mediterranean, December 2022.

Rhoe IDP site, Ituri, DRC — MSF teams unload cargo in Rho displaced people’s camp, which has seen a further influx of people seeking safety following violent attacks by armed groups. The camp population has doubled to over 70,000 people, all living in dire conditions. Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 2023.

Treating people injured during the protests in Lima — Following political protests across Peru, a 70-year-old patient is treated by MSF staff in Lima after being hit in the left temple by pellets fired by the police. Lima, Peru, January 2023.

CAR, 10 years of violence/portfolio — A woman and her child are seen through the window of a destroyed house near the PK5 neighbourhood in Bangui. The town and surrounding area have been the scene of often brutal violence for the last 10 years. Central African Republic, January 2023.

Yuli on the MSF Day Care Centre balcony — Yuli looks onto the street below from the MSF day centre’s terrace in Athens. She fled persecution in Cuba and now lives in Greece, where she is committed to connecting the Cuban transgender community with healthcare and social services. Athens, Greece, January 2023.

MSF aid convoy in Syria — In the wake of the 6 February Türkiye-Syria earthquake, MSF staff unload 14 trucks loaded with tents and winter kits which entered Syria through the Hamam crossing point, in partnership with Al-Ameen, a Syrian NGO. Idlib province, Syria, February 2023.

NW Syria Mobile Clinics and NFI 09 — An aerial view of MSF’s distribution of relief items to a reception centre hosting families displaced by the earthquake which struck Syria and Türkiye on 6 February. Salqin, Idlib province, Syria, February 2023.

Patient stories Mental health on three continents: Mexico, Mozambique and Ukranie — Mauricio works off some energy in boxing at MSF’s Survivors of Extreme Violence, Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment Centre. He was accused of a crime he did not commit and was tortured while incarcerated. Mexico City, Mexico, February 2023.

Aerial view of the Bulengo IDP site — An aerial view of the Bulengo displaced people’s camp, where MSF is providing free medical assistance and clean water to people from more than 7,000 households who have taken refuge there following armed clashes. Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 17 February 2023.

Ukraine Re-Taken Areas — The emergency entrance of Kostyantynivka hospital, where MSF works following the retaking of the area by Ukrainian forces. Donetsk oblast (province), Ukraine, February 2023.

Mobile clinic in Kherson region — A volunteer at a public space in the village of Blahodatne. MSF runs a mobile clinic in the area, providing medical care and mental health support to residents. Kherson oblast (province), Ukraine, February 2023.

Urban Violence Project - Mobile Clinics in Bel Air — An MSF midwife installs lights in the maternity room. She is part of an MSF mobile clinic team providing care to people living in areas affected by urban violence in Port-au-Prince. Bel Air, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, February 2023.

MSF Academy for Healthcare graduation in Lankien — Newly graduated nurses from the MSF Academy for Healthcare take a selfie at their graduation ceremony. Lankien, Jonglei state, South Sudan, March 2023.

Tuberculosis in Tondo, Manila - Ria Kristina Torrente — In the Tondo neighbourhood of Manila, MSF volunteers invite staff and customers at a local bakery to get their chest x-rayed at the free tuberculosis screening held by MSF. Manila, Philippines, March 2023.

Drone footage south Tarawa — An aerial view of South Tarawa. Half of the population of Kiribati lives on this tiny strip of land, with the lagoon on one side and the ocean on the other. The highest point in South Tarawa is just 3 metres above sea level; the entire country is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Kiribati, March 2023.

Mental Health support for people affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye — Semra Karaca, Sultan Kodaş, Hüseyin Kodaş and Şengül Kodaş (from left to right) live together as a family in Ören village, on the outskirts of Malatya, where MSF partners provide mental health support following the recent earthquakes and heavy flooding in the region. Türkiye, March 2023.

20 years providing live-saving treatment to Kala azar patients in Abdurafi — Getu Kassa (centre) and other farm workers pick cotton on a farm in the Abdurafi area. They have come from the highlands, where there is no immunity against kala azar or malaria, and they work and sleep in the fields during the night, leaving them susceptible to both diseases. Abdurafi, Ethiopia, March 2023.

Cholera Treatment Center in Quelimane Mozambique — A woman in the village of Quelimane surveys a house which was destroyed by Cyclone Freddy. Zambézia province, Mozambique, March 2023.

Bienvenu, a disabled basketball player — Bienvenue (third from left) reaches for the ball during a game of basketball. After an accident in 2016, Bienvenue had his right leg amputated by an MSF surgical team at SICA hospital. He received medical care and physiotherapy treatment from MSF. “After my surgeries, I received physiotherapy... Playing sports allows us to release energy and strengthen our disabilities, helping us forget our past and current situations. I train five times a week, a routine I've maintained since 2017.” Bangui, Central African Republic, April 2023.

MSF reopens a project in Calais to help people on the move on the Franco-British border — The remnants of a migrant camp in Calais, on the French-British border, following the eviction of people by French police. MSF provides medical and mental health care to people on the move in the area. Pas-de-Calais department, France, April 2023.

Maternal and paediatric health care in Bamyan province — Girls walk to school in Band-e-Amir, a remote district in Bamyan province, where MSF opened a community health facility in the town; there is no other health facility for women and children in the area. Bamyan province, Afghanistan, April 2023.

Maternal and paediatric health care in Bamyan province — A mother with her baby girl at her home in Jarokashan, a village in Band-e-Amir. MSF provides healthcare in a community where there are no other options for women and children. Bamyan province, Afghanistan, April 2023.

Primary health care in the indigenous heartland of Delta Amacuro in Venezuela — A boy balances on the end of a canoe near an indigenous community on the banks of the Orinoco River. Mobility in the area is only by river, and it can take hours or even days to reach medical care. Delta Amacuro state, Venezuela, May 2023.

Illustration of fightings in Khartoum, Sudan — An aerial view shows black smoke drifting across Khartoum following the fighting and violence that erupted between the army and paramilitary forces in mid-April. Khartoum, Sudan, May 2023.

Emergency Surgical Team at Bashair Hospital Khartoum, Sudan — Patients arrive at Bashair hospital in southern Khartoum, which needs to cope with the influx of wounded people following the outbreak of conflict between the army and paramilitary forces. Khartoum, Sudan, May 2023.

Noma survivors: closer to getting the attention they deserve — A team of highly trained plastic and maxillofacial surgeons, anaesthesiologists and nurses pose for a photo at the Sokoto Noma hospital. Four times a year, the team perform life-changing reconstructive surgery for survivors of Noma, a bacterial disease that can result in severe disfigurement. Sokoto, Nigeria, May 2023.

Noma survivors: closer to getting the attention they deserve — Rabiu (right), a Noma survivor, plays darts in the courtyard of the Sokoto Noma hospital. Rabiu received reconstructive surgery from an MSF medical team. Sokoto, Nigeria, May 2023.

Settlers violence in Hebron — Harbiyeh Al-Zaru folds blankets in her children’s room in Hebron. Palestinians in the area have experienced a steady, alarming escalation of violence from Israeli settlers and forces over the years, which often leaves physical and mental health scars on residents. Hebron, West Bank, Palestine, May 2023.

Helping tackle malnutrition and malaria in Angola — Paulina Cassombu holds her daughter, Rosa, who had been admitted to Cuvango Municipal hospital three weeks earlier with severe malnutrition and a loss of mobility. MSF staff were able to treat her malnutrition and get her walking again. Cuvango, Huíla province, Angola, May 2023.

Primary health care in the indigenous heartland of Delta Amacuro in Venezuela — Adelia smiles as she holds her son José Antonio on her chest. After hours in labour, she feels exhausted, but is overjoyed at having her newborn baby in her arms. Delta Amacuro state, Venezuela, May 2023.

Siwar's Portrait — Siwar holds up her insulin pen while lying down amongst her toys in her family’s makeshift home in Arsal. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age and frequents the MSF clinic in the town for treatment. Arsal, Lebanon, May 2023.

MSF tractor in Dentiuk, Akoka County in the Upper Nile State — An MSF tractor takes a wooden canoe to a local community, in preparation for the upcoming rainy season. In the rainy season, villages are often cut off by floods, and the canoes enable communities to transport the sick to the hospital. Dentiuk, Upper Nile State, South Sudan, May 2023.

Safe Abortion Care in Beira, Mozambique — Beatriz* (far left), a midwife trainee, speaks with colleagues at Chingussura health centre in Beira. MSF supports Ministry of Health staff in providing safe abortion care and maternity services. A year ago, when she was still in school, she came to the health centre as a patient for safe abortion care. “I had support from my family, from my husband. At first, he didn’t accept it, but after we discussed my situation, that I was studying, he accepted it. It is a myth that you cannot get pregnant again after having a [safe] abortion. Because I got pregnant again normally,” she said. Beira, Mozambique, May 2023. *Name changed to protect privacy

Sudanese refugees in Chad — A doctor holds up the x-rays of a woman who was shot in the neck in Sudan, before she managed to reach Adré in Chad. There, MSF staff operated to remove the bullet in Abéché hospital. Adré, Chad, June 2023.

Rotation 31 - Interception — Black smoke billows from a wooden boat after being intercepted by the Libyan Coast Guard. The boat had around 50 people onboard, who were transferred to the Coast Guard’s vessel before the wooden boat was set on fire. Central Mediterranean Sea, June 2023.

Meluli river — People wash themselves and their clothes in the Meluli River, which puts them at risk of contracting schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease. MSF teams have set up a health post nearby to carry out consultations for neglected tropical diseases like schistosomiasis. Mogovolas district, Nampula province, Mozambique, June 2023.

MSF Emergency department Activity Manager, Dr. Khassan El-Kafarna, at Kostiantynivka hospital in Ukraine — Dr Khassan El-Kafarna, an MSF doctor, adjusts the light in the operating room of Kostiantynivka hospital. MSF teams transformed the hospital’s ground floor pharmacy into an operating room, to respond to a steep increase in shelling and, consequently, an increase in the number of patients requiring urgent surgery. Donetsk oblast (province), Ukraine, June 2023.

Nour, 25 years old from Al Geneina. — Nour escaped the war in El Geneina, Sudan, with wounds to his face. Upon reaching Adré in Chad, near the border with Sudan, MSF teams provided him, and hundreds of other war-wounded, with medical care. Adré, Chad, June 2023.

Rotation 33 - Rescue 2 — A team from the MSF search and rescue ship Geo Barents provides life vests to survivors on a wooden boat during a night-time rescue. Central Mediterranean Sea, July 2023.

Water treatment plant, Bulengo displaced camp — An MSF water and sanitation hygienist walks across the top of water tanks being used to store and treat water for the people living in Bulengo displaced people’s camp. Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, July 2023.

Migrants in transit in Ecuador, Colombia and Panama — People on the move from South to North America traverse a river in the Darién gap, as they make their way over the Panamanian border. Near Lajas Blancas, Panama, August 2023.

Arbovirus Project — Yosselin Vásquez, an MSF laboratory assistant, examines larvae of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying the natural Wolbachia bacteria. Once the larvae become adult mosquitoes and are then released, the Wolbachia bacteria will reduce the mosquitoes’ ability to transmit arboviruses – such as dengue and Yellow fever – with the aim to lower the number of people affected by dengue fever in the area. Tegucigalpa, Honduras, August 2023.

Women's living conditions at Kanyaruchinya displacement site — Asifiwe Seburo poses for a photo in her hut in Kanyaruchinya displaced people’s camp. She’s 7-months pregnant with her third child. “It is really difficult to be pregnant in the camp. We are four people sleeping in this tiny hut, latrines are often full, I do not eat enough… it is a daily struggle,” she says. Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, August 2023.

Integrated Community Case Management - Abyei — An MSF team provides medical consultations to people in the village of Khadian, at a temporary health post set up under a tree. Abyei Special Administrative Area (contested area between South Sudan and Sudan), August 2023.

Portraits - Living with HIV/aids in Conakry — A portrait of Hassimiou Camara, an MSF peer educator and person living with HIV. He joined MSF in 2014, and had his portrait taken as part of a series by Guinean photographer Namsa Leuba, documenting the daily, fulfilling lives of people living with HIV in a bid to reduce stigma around the disease. Conakry, Guinea, November 2023.

Aftermath of deadly floods in Libya — An aerial view of the devastation in Derna, caused by floods following Storm Daniel’s rampage through the region. Derna, Libya, September 2023.

Conflict in Gaza — A man drinks water from a burst pipe amongst destroyed buildings in Gaza, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas three days earlier. Gaza Strip, Palestine, 10 October 2023.

Abdul Salaam and the remains of his house — Abdul Salaam digs through the rubble of what used to be his home with a shovel, as his mother watches on, after a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the region five days earlier. Herat, Afghanistan, 12 October 2023.

Rotation 42 - Life on Deck — A group of people, among 63 who were rescued by the MSF team on board the search and rescue ship Geo Barents, look out over the side of the ship, as they head to Genova, the place of safety assigned by the Italian authorities following the rescue. Central Mediterranean Sea, October 2023.

Patients at Al Shifa hospital — A young boy injured by an airstrike in Gaza hugs his father after receiving treatment at Al-Shifa hospital. Gaza Strip, Palestine, 19 October 2023.

Doctor describing photograph | Picture — MSF doctors are forced to amputate the foot of a young boy on the floor of Al-Shifa hospital, using minimal anaesthesia, as medical facilities and personnel start to run out of supplies in a context of siege. Gaza Strip, Palestine, October 2023.

27 October 2023 - MSF Medical Team in Jenin Hospital — MSF medical staff treat wounded people at 2am in Jenin hospital, following an Israeli forces incursion on Jenin refugee camp. Jenin, West Bank, Palestine, 27 October 2023.

Gaza - Al Aqsa Hospital — An above view of a crowded hallway at Al-Aqsa hospital, where patients and displaced people are forced to live. Middle Area, Gaza, Strip, Palestine, 29 November 2023.

Destructions in Jenin Nov 2023 — The watermelon roundabout, a symbol of Palestinian pride in Jenin, was destroyed during a military incursion in the city. Violent Israeli incursions in Jenin have become commonplace since 7 October. Jenin, West Bank, Palestine, November 2023.

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