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A beach buia pictured in Tebunginako village, Abaiang. This raised structure, often used to live and sleep in, is built from coconut tree wood with a palm-thatched roof offers shade and ventilation from the island heat and is a common sight in Kiribati.  

Kiribati (pronounced Ke-ree-bas) is a vast but climate-vulnerable island nation made up of 32 atolls and one raised coral island in the Pacific. It lies half-way between Hawaii and Australia. With a total land mass of just 811 square km spread over 3.5 million square km of ocean, the country has unique social and geographical challenges. The increase in frequency and intensity of storms and other extreme weather events, the intrusion of salt water with a rising sea, along with declining rainfalls and higher temperatures, threaten ecosystems and are rapidly deplete freshwater supplies.
A traditional buia in Tebunginako village, Abaiang. These raised structures, made from coconut wood and palm thatching, provide shade and ventilation in Kiribati’s hot climate. Kiribati, April 2026.
© Diana Worman/MSF

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We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - most of them hired locally. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.

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