Treating the wounded then restoring dignity with small gestures

Hundreds of people died and hundreds of others were seriously wounded during an outbreak of violence that occurred in the Duékoué region of western Ivory Coast between March 28 and 30. An MSF surgical team treated many of the war wounded at nearby Bangolo Hospital, following a disaster plan MSF developed for such an occurrence. Dr. Martial Ledecq, the MSF surgeon in Bangolo, describes what happened. Voices from the Field - 14 Apr 2011

Afghanistan

Immediate care given to victims of military bus attack in Afghanistan

MSF medical staff worked with the hospital’s emergency room team to treat the wounded patients, who were suffering from blast-related injuries, including severe burns and open fractures. Voices from the Field - 12 Apr 2011

Libya

Normal health needs clearly go on despite the war in Libya

"In the few weeks that we spent in Benghazi, we managed to provide more than 30 tons of medical supplies to different hospitals including surgical kits and external fixators that are desperately needed for people with gunshot wounds." - Simon Burroughs: MSF emergency coordinator for Libya Voices from the Field - 23 Mar 2011

Libya

'Our key priority is to gain immediate access to the wounded in areas affected by violence within Libya'

“First and foremost, our presence here, both in terms of our medical staff and our supplies, means that we are ready to intervene as soon as we gain access into Libya. We are seeking immediate access in order to treat the wounded, who are reportedly not allowed out, while doctors and critical medical supplies are not allowed in.” Voices from the Field - 7 Mar 2011

South Sudan

'Insecurity remains a reality'

"I know well the effects of instability, displacement, poverty and the lack of infrastructure. And now, in addition to that, many Southern Sudanese people who had fled the war to the North and neighbouring countries are now returning to places where there are not enough basic services..." Voices from the Field - 25 Feb 2011

Lebanon

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

'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

Democratic Republic of Congo

Reaching out to populations trapped by conflict in Congo

Slideshow available - In North Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, violent conflict persists between government forces and an array of military groups. The frontlines between different armed actors constantly shift, and local people are trapped in the middle – often cut off from medical care. In and around Pinga, an MSF team has been reaching out to populations trapped by the conflict by running mobile clinics via motorbike and providing medical services to people who have no other hope of getting medical care. Voices from the Field - 16 Feb 2011

Afghanistan

Dangerous aid in Afghanistan

While NGOs mostly claim their assistance is based on humanitarian principles, this is often inaccurate in Afghanistan. Many NGOs implement nation-building projects at the behest of Afghan and U.S. government agencies, such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The opposition militant groups challenge the legitimacy of these efforts... Voices from the Field - 12 Jan 2011

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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Treating the wounded then restoring dignity with small gestures

Immediate care given to victims of military bus attack in Afghanistan

Normal health needs clearly go on despite the war in Libya

'Our key priority is to gain immediate access to the wounded in areas affected by violence within Libya'

'Insecurity remains a reality'

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

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

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

Reaching out to populations trapped by conflict in Congo

Dangerous aid in Afghanistan

Independent medical humanitarian assistance

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79%

16%

16%

5%

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