'We have electricity for only a few hours a day, we have constant power cuts and the water is salty, but it’s all that we’ve got.' Voices from the Field - 24 Feb 2011

Lebanon

Hakim, 'Living conditions are very difficult; I don't think there's anyone who finds them tolerable'

Houses are overcrowded and built close together; zinc roofs cause temperatures to rise in the summer and drop sharply in the winter; the infrastructure is nearly non-existent; and there is very little privacy in people’s personal lives. Voices from the Field - 24 Feb 2011

Lebanon

Yassin, 67, 'Life... which life do you mean?'

I can’t help remembering the mutilated bodies of my friends, the blood, the smell – it’s still all there, in my head. I got pieces of shrapnel in my knee, my ankle, my hip. Today I don’t work; I survive thanks to support because I am disabled. Voices from the Field - 24 Feb 2011

Global

Mental healthcare a core part of MSF's emergency aid

Many migrants and refugees suffer from psychological trauma as a result of their experiences, the dangerous journey to Malta and general uncertainty for the future. During one group activity organised by MSF, migrants were asked to illustrate their past experiences. "The idea was to encourage them to tell their stories: how they reached Europe, why they escaped from their country, the situation they are in now. They were relieved to be able to get these stories out", said Elisa Finocchiaro, MSF worker who helped organise the activity.
The following is a series of snapshots from MSF mental health programs in Kashmir, Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq. These snapshots sketch some of the complex and painful issues confronted by those who seek counselling, as well as some of the challenges encountered by MSF in providing these services. Project Update - 11 Oct 2010

Morocco

MSF raises concern over the medical condition of migrants after mass expulsions by the Moroccan police

"Our team has witnessed the direct impact of these mass raids and expulsions on the medical condition and mental health of the migrants," said Jorge Martin, MSF's head of mission in Morocco. Press Release - 30 Sep 2010

Measles

MSF measles programs

Project Update - 17 Jun 2010

Sexual violence

MSF denounces the sexual violence against migrants travelling to Europe

Sub-Saharan migrant women have endured various forms of sexual violence in their countries of origin and on their way to Europe. Many are forced to leave their homes because of violence related to conflict or to escape forced marriages or domestic violence. Report - 25 Mar 2010

Palestine

One year after the war

On December 27, 2008 the Israeli military launched Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. The operation involved raids, intensive aerial bombing and a land offensive that began on January 3, 2009. The war ended 22 days later, on January 18, 2009, and took a heavy toll. Nearly 1,300 Palestinians were killed (including 900 civilians, 300 of whom were children) and approximately 5,300 were wounded. What are the humanitarian, medical and economic impacts of that war? How are they felt today? Project Update - 5 Jan 2010

Palestine

Gaza: 'War wounds test a poorly-equipped health system'

After last January's war, heightened medical and health needs prompted MSF to expand its activities to address shortfalls in specific areas, including post-operative care, physical therapy, mental health care and surgery. Project Update - 5 Jan 2010

Project Update

'Top Ten' humanitarian crises: Aid blocked and diseases neglected

Civilians attacked, bombed, and cut off from aid in Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), along with stagnant funding for treating HIV/AIDS and ongoing neglect of other diseases, were among the worst emergencies in 2009, the international medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported today in its annual list of the "Top Ten" humanitarian crises. Press Release - 21 Dec 2009

Four mothers posing in a corridor of the Hospital in Bili. All four of them are staying in the hospital with their child, that's suffering from a severe case of malaria. Since the beginning of the project in 2016, the pediatric ward already treated more than 4.000 cases of complicated/severe form of malaria.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Independent medical humanitarian assistance

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 independence and impartiality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.

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MSF Websites

Ahmed, 72, Palestinian refugee, 'I am a guest here'