Migrants crossing the Darién Gap straddling the borders of Colombia and Panama are left without aid and protection. We call on the governments of those countries through which migrants cross to ensure safe routes and access to basic services for people on the move. Project Update - 30 Nov 2023

The MSF hospital in Agok is the only facility providing secondary care in the entire Abyei region of South Sudan. This structure deals with emergencies, surgeries, treatments of HIV, tuberculosis, chronic diseases as well as neglected diseases, such as snake bites, a real scourge in the region. In 2019, in order to improve the quality of care, a radiology room was set up and the pharmacy was extended. A lack of specialized structures in the surrounding states forces some patients to travel very long distances to get to Agok hospital, some have to walk for up to 10 hours. This phenomenon illustrates the need for a comprehensive hospital in a country where health care is almost non-existent

Burkina Faso

Malnutrition crisis grips children trapped in western Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso’s Boucle du Mouhoun region, our teams have found one in five children are affected by malnutrition in a town that has seen its supplies cut off by armed groups.
Press Release - 28 Nov 2023

On 20 November, two missiles hit a hospital in Selydove, where MSF work, causing significant damage to the hospital and damaging two MSF ambulances based there.

Ukraine

Repeated attacks on hospitals in Ukraine take a tragic toll on lives and infrastructure

In the space of a week in Ukraine, MSF teams have witnessed direct attacks on hospitals in Donetsk and Kherson regions. These attacks are completely unacceptable. Press Release - 24 Nov 2023

Andriamanantena Tsiva Aurélien with his family in front of their house, partially destroyed by the cyclone.

Andrianantenaina Tsiva Aurélien, 48 years old, 3 children, lives in Fokontany Antanambao V, Commune Nosy Varika.
He is the president of the fishermen's association of Nosy Varika district.

Batsirai has had serious consequences for fishing. After Batsirai, fish are increasingly scarce, which heavily affects the daily income of fishermen. If before Batsirai they had an income of 30,000 to 40,000 Ariary (about 9 euros) per day, now they barely have an income of 4,000 to 5,000 Ariary (about 1 euro).

Despite the warnings, Tsiva Aurélien still decided to stay in his house on the day Batsirai hit the island. It was only when he saw the walls of his house flying away that he decided to leave, but he was injured in the arm and the material losses were considerable.
After Batsirai, they could no longer return home and were forced to stay in the disaster shelters. For the time being, they are living on the few provisions they have left.

Aware of the ephemeral nature of humanitarian aid, Tsiva Aurélien wants to embrace a more permanent solution. And as president of the fishermen, he is thinking of having a cold room to be able to extend the supply of maritime products to other localities than Nosy Varika, in order to increase their daily income.

Faced with climate change, the president of the fishermen is planning on fish breeding techniques. As the weather has become uncertain, fishermen are perishing at sea because of the bad forecasts. Lacking meteorological equipment, they cannot rely on their experience. Traditionally, they rely on nature to predict the weather. That's what they've always done: observe the colour of the sky, the direction of the wind, the shape of the clouds... The decision to go fishing or not depends on these observations.
He hopes to play the safety card by turning to fish farming.
The acquisition of "lifeboats" would also make it possible to respond to the risks of accidents at sea. Indeed, from the age of 14, children leave school to join the ranks of the fishermen, and already at a very young age come up against the dangers of the sea and the vagaries of bad weather.

The total number of fishermen in the district of Nosy Varika is about 700 people, of which 360 are members of the fishermen's association.

Climate emergency

At COP28, more failure on climate change is not an option for vulnerable communities

Ahead of the COP28 conference on climate change, MSF warns that too little is being done to protect the most vulnerable people against the negative impacts of climate change. Press Release - 23 Nov 2023

On 3 July 2023, MSF team onboard of Geo Barents conducted 4 different rescues in the Maltese SAR zone. In total, 196 survivors were rescued, including 47 unaccompanied minors, 16 women, and 1 baby.

In the first rescue, our team was guided by aerial support from Pilotes Volontaires during the active search for this boat, which lasted more than 1.5 hours.  While the last 3 rescues were all coordinated through the Italian MRCC.

The Italian authorities have assigned us Marina di Carrara as a place of #safety to disembark the survivors.

Mediterranean migration

“No one came to our rescue”: The human costs of European migration policies in the Central Mediterranean

A new MSF report outlines the European Union’s deadly migration policies and documents their practices which have directly led to people’s deaths in the Central Mediterranean Sea. Report - 22 Nov 2023

On 5 December 2022, while scanning the sea with binoculars, our team spotted a boat with people on board needing help. 90 persons, including 35 minors, were on an overcrowded rubber boat in distress in international waters off the Libyan coast. Everyone is now safe on board Geo Barents and being cared for by the team

Mediterranean migration

EU member states must reverse deadly inaction on Central Mediterranean migration

MSF urges the European Union to immediately prioritise the safety of those crossing the Central Mediterranean following news that 2023 has been the deadliest year on the route for people since 2017. Press Release - 22 Nov 2023

Gaza-Israel war

MSF doctors killed in strike on Al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza

MSF is devastated by the killing of three doctors, including two working with MSF, following a strike on Al-Awda hospital in northern Gaza, Palestine. Press Release - 21 Nov 2023

Dr. Aminu an incentivised MoH staff working in the MSF ward at the Murtala Mohamad hospital where the organization runs a diphtheria treatment center, during a check up round on diphtheria patients.

Vaccination

Dramatic upscaling of vaccination needed in West Africa to curb deadly diphtheria outbreaks

MSF is urging international organisations, including WHO, and the governments of some countries in West Africa to urgently scale up the response to deadly diphtheria outbreaks occurring in the region. Press Release - 21 Nov 2023

MSF gynecologist following up on a patient in the maternity section for women having given birth through a C-section, Klouékanmè Hospital.

Dr Dieudonné has been on assignement at the Klouékanmè Hospital since October 2023. He supports the medical team, provides training in Obstetrical care and helps organize the Department.

Benin

Limiting maternal and child loss in communities in Benin

After a 15-year absence, MSF launched two projects in Benin last year. One targets better healthcare for mothers and children in the southwest, while the other assists those impacted by malaria and recent violence in accessing medical care in the north. Project Update - 21 Nov 2023

Palestine

Gaza: MSF condemns deadly attack on convoy transporting staff and family members

A convoy of clearly marked MSF cars, transporting MSF staff and their family members in an attempt to evacuate them from northern Gaza, has been deliberately attacked, killing one person. Press Release - 18 Nov 2023

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)

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

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Migrants left without protection as Darién Gap crossings reach half a million