Latest news with #MédecinsSansFrontières
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on annihilation in Gaza: the deaths mount, but the pressure has ebbed
'We cannot be asking civilians to go into a combat zone so that then they can be killed with the justification that they are in a combat zone.' It defies belief that the Unicef spokesperson, James Elder, should have needed to spell that out this week. And yet each day Palestinians continue to be killed while attempting to collect aid for their families from food hubs in Gaza, forced to make a lethal choice between risking being shot and letting their families slowly starve. More than 500 have died around the centres since the system was introduced – yet, with attention fixed on Israel's attacks on Iran, there has been little to spare for recent deaths. The Israeli military has sought to shrug off accountability with shifting accounts of events. But officers and soldiers have told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that commanders ordered troops to shoot at crowds that clearly posed no threat. Médecins Sans Frontières has accurately described the system as 'slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid'. Meanwhile, Israel has closed crossings into the north. Overall, Gaza's health ministry says that 56,331 people have died in Israeli attacks since war began. Researchers who assess war casualties suggested this week that, far from being exaggerated, this undercounts the toll. They estimated that violent deaths had reached 75,000 by this January, with another 8,500 excess deaths due to the war. The toll of hunger has yet to be reckoned. The ceasefire with Iran has prompted talk that Benjamin Netanyahu may be contemplating an early election, hoping to ride to victory on the glory. That would be tough without the release of hostages and at least the impression of an end to the war in Gaza. Yet it remains unclear whether there is actual movement towards a deal with Hamas. Donald Trump's hazy vision of a grand deal for the Middle East is built upon a fantasy of Arab state acquiescence without any concrete offer for Palestinians. Without a proper agreement, the threat of strikes resuming would loom large, there would be no promise that proper aid would follow, and recovery would be impossible. The far-right coalition partners upon whom Mr Netanyahu depends want the 'day after' to bring not a resurgence of life but the disappearance of Palestinians from Gaza – and beyond. The surging violence and mass displacements in the occupied West Bank, which have seen 943 Palestinians killed by settlers or security forces since 7 October 2023, have been described as 'Gazafication'. Meanwhile, Israel entrenches its control politically. As Israel's allies stand by – or, like Mr Trump, spur on horrors such as the food scheme – the necessary destination of a two-state solution is becoming a mirage. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, has suggested openly that the US no longer sees an independent Palestinian state as a goal. European nations, including the UK, which had edged towards recognising one, have backed off since Israel attacked Iran. A review by the diplomatic service of the EU – Israel's biggest trading partner – found that the country was probably breaching human rights duties under their trade deal, yet the bloc has not acted accordingly. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, rightly urged the EU to suspend the accord. While the arms and trade still flow, Israel's allies are complicit in the destruction of lives in Gaza. They must instead make themselves central to building a future for Palestinians in a state of their own. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Health
- Zawya
Sudanese refugees in Chad are safe from bombs but struggling to survive
In Tine and Oure Cassoni camps in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan, Médecins Sans Frontières is increasing our support for recently arrived Sudanese refugees. In these overcrowded camps, people face harsh conditions and limited access to food, shelter, water, and healthcare. The current humanitarian response is grossly insufficient, and greater support from additional organisations is urgently needed. An estimated 80,000 people have crossed the border from North Darfur, Sudan, to eastern Chad, arriving in or passing through Wadi Fira and East Ennedi provinces, since the end of April.1 These newly arrived refugees, a majority of whom are women and children, fled El Fasher and its surrounding camps after intense attacks from the Rapid Support Forces. While they are safe from bombs in Tine and Oure Cassoni camps, which are separated by 130 kilometers, they are now enduring severe overcrowding and have only limited access to essential medical services. For them, the road from El Fasher to Chad, which can take up to 10 days travelling, was plagued by violence and hardship. In both camps, our teams are hearing harrowing stories of violence suffered in North Darfur and on the journey to eastern Chad. Many people have been hurt or seen men and boys beaten, injured or killed, and women and girls raped. Some people reportedly died of thirst on the way. Care after surgery Mahanat, who is 11 years old, lost his left hand on 11 April, when the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a massive ground offensive on Zamzam camp, which housed 500,000 people, near El Fasher. According to the UN, hundreds of people were killed in April alone and the camp has been completely emptied.2 Mahanat escaped the deadly attacks and is now in Tine camp with his mother. 'Mahanat's father was killed during the attack on Zamzam camp. His left hand got ripped off by a shrapnel bomb, some got stuck in his right eye,' says Mahanat's mother. 'He arrived at the MSF clinic in the Tine camp several weeks ago. Each time, doctors and nurses struggled to even access the wound as the child was traumatised and in immense pain. Over the days, with time, patience and trust, Mahanat accepted care.' Our teams have been treating people's physical wounds from gunshots, shrapnel bombs and landmines. We are helping patients with amputations through pain management and infection prevention and control measures, such as applying sterile bandages to keep wounds clean and dry. In Tine, we have recently added a mental health component to our work to better support patient recovery. Meeting people's growing needs While we scaled up our activities in Tine camp in April, the overall situation remains largely unchanged due to people's overwhelming needs. MSF continues to do our utmost but a coordinated and strengthened response from other humanitarian actors is essential to meet the urgent demands on the ground. 'Again, we ask donors, the UN and humanitarian organisations to start providing or scale-up support in terms of food, shelter, sanitation and medical care including mental health services. The current response is grossly insufficient,' says Claire San Filippo, MSF's emergency coordinator for Sudan. We are increasing the availability of essential healthcare services in Tine and Oure Cassoni camps. Since April 2025 to the time of writing of the article, we have carried out over 7,700 consultations at the Tine health post. We are concerned about the global rate of malnutrition among children under five in the camp, which is as high as 18%, with 3% being severely malnourished. To assist in curbing the spread of measles in the camp, we have vaccinated 5,755 children. Pregnant women and survivors of sexual violence can receive care at the health post, and our staff are able to refer critical patients to local hospitals. From April 2025 until now, 1,322 consultations on sexual and reproductive health have been carried out. During the last four weeks of activities, 16 survivors of sexual violence were seen at the health post. To support people's overall health in the camp, we have built 40 emergency latrines. MSF is the only organisation in the camp providing people with water, which remains a huge problem for residents. Whilst we were providing the minimum requirement per person per day, the sudden increase of the number of people in the camp due to the halt of relocations means that the needs have now increased. "Again, we ask donors, the UN and humanitarian organisations to start providing or scale-up support in terms of food, shelter, sanitation and medical care including mental health services. The current response is grossly insufficient." Claire San Filippo, MSF's emergency coordinator for Sudan In Oure Cassoni camp, we carried out a rapid evaluation of the situation in order to understand people's needs and prepare for an appropriate response. For the time being, we are supplying water through Water Trucking whilst exploring more sustainable interventions. While this camp was already home to 56,000 people, an additional 40,000 refugees have been accommodated there last April. These new arrivals have set up with what they have, but they are living in makeshift shelters and without latrines and other basic infrastructure. While a humanitarian response in underway for these newly arrived refugees, our teams are aware of the many unmet needs, and of the many more people expected to arrive from North Darfur. 'The number of people arriving at the Tine border point is not expected to decrease over the coming weeks,' says San Filippo. 'The upcoming rainy season is likely to worsen the already poor living conditions, spread disease, exacerbate food insecurity and the lack of sanitation. We are deeply alarmed by the difficult conditions in the Tine and Oure Cassoni camps. Large-scale humanitarian action is urgently needed to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
Online Citizen
4 days ago
- Health
- Online Citizen
MSF condemns ‘deliberate' Israeli aid restrictions amid deadly shooting at Gaza food site
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has issued a stark condemnation of Israel's restrictions on aid to Gaza, labelling them as deliberate and inhumane, in the wake of another mass killing near an aid distribution site in Khan Younis. The incident, which killed over 51 Palestinians and injured more than 200 others, has intensified criticism over the handling of humanitarian operations in the besieged enclave. According to the Hamas-run civil defence agency, Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd gathering near a World Food Programme site to the east of Khan Younis. Witnesses reported that Israeli drones fired two missiles, followed by tank shells from a position approximately 400 to 500 metres away. Many victims were taken to Nasser Hospital, which has been overwhelmed by the influx. MSF has highlighted a dire pattern of escalating violence and dwindling aid access. In a statement released on 19 June, 2025, the organisation accused Israeli authorities of enforcing policies that keep medical, fuel, and food supplies at a dangerously minimal level, despite claiming to allow humanitarian corridors. Aitor Zabalgogeazkoa, MSF's emergency coordinator in Gaza, said, 'The charade of only allowing medical and fuel supplies at the very last-minute ahead of a looming disaster is nothing but a band aid on a gushing wound. The weaponisation of aid must end.' MSF field hospitals, particularly in Deir Al-Balah, have seen a 190% increase in gunshot wound cases within a week. Clinics in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah recorded their highest patient intake to date. These conditions are exacerbated by a lack of gauze, medications, therapeutic food for malnourished children, and essential equipment powered by fuel. Amy Low, MSF's medical team leader in Gaza City, stressed that neonatal care is being compromised due to power outages. At Al-Helou Maternity Hospital, oxygen and ventilators critical to newborns' survival are frequently shut down due to electricity cuts. MSF also noted that access to clean water has sharply decreased, as fuel shortages cripple desalination plants. Ambulances and other vital transport systems are also impacted, restricting the movement of critically injured individuals. The latest attack near the food distribution point is just one of several incidents in recent weeks where aid seekers have been met with violence. The World Health Organization confirmed the mass casualty incident, and noted a disturbing correlation between food distribution locations and gunshot injuries. The Israeli military stated it was reviewing the incident and acknowledged a crowd had gathered near troops operating in the area. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which manages the food sites, distanced itself from the shootings, emphasising that they occurred away from their direct operations. However, critics argue that the design of the new aid system, seen by some as an Israeli attempt to bypass the UN and control aid flows, has contributed to chaos and deadly desperation. Verified footage and eyewitness reports from multiple incidents suggest a repeated pattern of Israeli forces firing on civilians attempting to access aid. UN human rights chief Volker Turk accused Israel of weaponising food and called for a full investigation into the shootings. Philippe Lazzarini of UNRWA reiterated that Gaza's tragedies continue unabated amid dwindling global attention. The broader backdrop remains Israel's ongoing military campaign, reignited on 18 March 2025 after a ceasefire broke down. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, 55,959 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. The most recent offensive has resulted in 5,647 deaths and 19,201 injuries in just three months. MSF asserts that the consistent denial of adequate aid and the systematic targeting of infrastructure are indicative of a broader strategy. 'MSF teams are witnessing patterns consistent with genocide in Gaza,' the organisation declared, citing mass killings and the dismantling of conditions essential for Palestinian life. As violence and restrictions continue, the situation in Gaza grows increasingly unsustainable, with humanitarian agencies warning of total collapse without immediate and consistent international intervention.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on Gaza's engineered famine: stop arming the slaughter – or lose the rule of law
Gaza's cries have been drowned out by Israel's strikes on Iran, and the diplomatic pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu over the suffering has ebbed. Yet as the industrialised world urges de-escalation in the Middle East, the devastation continues. On Tuesday morning, witnesses described Israeli forces firing towards a crowd waiting for trucks loaded with flour, leaving more than 50 dead. These are not stray bullets in wartime chaos, they are the outcome of a system that makes relief deadly. As Médecins Sans Frontières declared this week, what is unfolding in Gaza is 'the calculated evisceration of the very systems that sustain life'. That includes homes, markets, water networks and hospitals – with healthcare continually under attack. Last week, a UN commission found that more than 90% of the Gaza Strip's schools and universities have been damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces using airstrikes, burning, shelling and controlled demolitions. What's happening is not the collateral damage of military necessity, it is a programme of civic annihilation. In such circumstances, words without action are worse than meaningless. Western powers cannot decry war crimes and genocide while supplying the arms that cause them elsewhere. If they believe in international law, countries such as the UK should act to uphold it. The law is not law if no one enforces it. Israel is the occupying power in Gaza and has a clear duty under the fourth Geneva convention to ensure the population's access to food, water and medical care. Instead, it has imposed a blockade and driven out UN humanitarian operations. In their place, it has backed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private aid scheme coordinated with its military and guarded by US mercenaries. Citing unproven claims of Hamas infiltration, Israel scrapped 400 UN-backed aid sites for just four GHF-run, militarised hubs. In a few weeks, around 300 Palestinians have reportedly died trying to access these food sites. UN officials are right to say the GHF scheme is 'engineered scarcity' that has made aid distribution 'a death trap'. The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights has also warned that the GHF may be prosecuted for aiding 'war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide'. Yet Donald Trump's state department is mulling a $500m grant. In the UK, ministers say allegations of genocide are for courts to decide upon, while government lawyers in court assert that there is no genocide. This is not just moral evasiveness but tactical contradiction, designed to sustain arms sales and diplomatic cover. This hypocrisy has consequences. By shielding Israel from accountability in Gaza, and now endorsing its illegal strike on Iran, western governments are not merely complicit – they are dismantling the legal order they claim to defend. They are falling in line with Mr Trump's attempts to undermine institutions designed to hold powerful actors accountable, replacing legal norms with political cover. As the former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk has said, if GHF were a genuine humanitarian project it would have halted a model that produces daily massacres. According to the Carnegie Endowment's Katherine Wilkens, GHF imposes severe limits on food, subjects civilians to invasive biometric vetting and hands out aid at gunpoint under Israeli control – in clear breach of international law. What is collapsing in Gaza is not just infrastructure. It is the principle that even war has rules. When those rules are waived for allies, no one is safe. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Zawya
17-06-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Escalating insecurity forces Médecins sans frontières (MSF) to close Ulang hospital in South Sudan
After two violence incidents earlier this year, MSF has been forced to close our hospital in Ulang county, South Sudan, and end our support to 13 community-based health facilities. This has left 150,000 people with less access to healthcare, in an area where MSF's maternal services are a lifeline. All parties to conflict in South Sudan must adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients. People in remote areas of Upper Nile state in South Sudan are suffering from a lack of access to healthcare, since attacks on medical boats and armed looting in medical facilities since the beginning of the year have forced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to close our hospital and end our support to 13 community-based healthcare facilities in Ulang county. The closure of MSF's hospital has left an area of more than 200km from the Ethiopian border to Malakal town without any functional specialised healthcare facility. MSF calls on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients. Since February 2025, South Sudan has experienced its worst spike in violence since the 2018 peace deal. Fighting between government forces and armed youth militias has escalated across multiple states, including Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, and Central Equatoria. This has led to mass displacement, widespread civilian casualties, and a total collapse of already fragile public services. Despite these closures, MSF remains dedicated to supporting the healthcare needs of displaced and vulnerable people in Ulang and Nasir counties. We have a mobile emergency team assessing needs who are prepared to provide short-term healthcare services wherever security conditions and access allow. MSF continues to provide healthcare services in our other projects in Upper Nile state, including in Malakal and Renk counties. An escalating trend of violence against healthcare In January 2025, MSF faced an attack by unidentified gunmen near Nasir, shooting at our boats as they returned from delivering medical supplies to Nasir County hospital. This attack forced us to suspend all outreach activities in Nasir and Ulang counties, which included medical referrals by boat along the Sobat River that allowed women to deliver their babies safely. In April 2025, armed individuals forced their way into the hospital in Ulang where they threatened staff and patients and looted the hospital so extensively that MSF no longer had the necessary resources to continue operations safely and effectively. 'They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients' beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months' worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before. Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed,' says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan. Within a month, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, a town in the neighbouring Jonglei state, leaving the facility completely non-functional. This is part of a worrying rise in attacks on healthcare facilities in South Sudan. Local communities depended on MSF for prenatal care 'During my third pregnancy, I decided to come to the hospital well in advance before my delivery. I lost my two first children because I did not make it to the hospital on time,' says Nyapual Jok, a young mother from the outskirts of Ulang county. Nyapual had been transported to the hospital by one of MSF's boat ambulances, since she lives in a remote village far away from Ulang hospital. Ulang, a vast flood-prone area, is characterised by spotted remote villages which often suffer severe mobility restrictions during the rainy seasons. MSF ran boat transportation services to ensure access to healthcare to mothers like Nyapual. 'It's very hard to access healthcare here. If we had a hospital closer during my previous deliveries, maybe my children would be alive today,' adds Nyapual. Nyapual shared her story in November 2024, only two months before the attack on the same boats which helped her deliver her baby safely. Facility closures create gaps that are difficult to fill The attacks' effect of stopping medical referrals by boat has had fatal consequences for the people living in remote areas in the region. People in Ulang and Nasir counties had to wait for days, sometimes even weeks, to get a boat to take them to Ulang hospital. In desperate situations, they would walk for days through a muddy landscape – a land that is nearly impossible to cross on foot during rainy season. 'She was in labour when she suffered birth complications – she had to get to a hospital as soon as possible,' says Veronica Nyakuoth, an MSF midwife at the Ulang hospital, about a patient she attended to in the maternity ward. 'Normally, MSF mobile teams would have been able to pick her up by boat, but since that service was cut off, instead she had to wait two days for a private boat to take her. When she finally made it to Ulang hospital, it was too late: the team could not find a heartbeat from the twins she was carrying in her womb.' 150,000 people cut off from care With the closure of the hospital and the withdrawal of support to the decentralised facilities including transportation of patients, more than 150,000 people will now face even more difficulties accessing healthcare in Ulang county and more might face the tragic fate that Veronica's patient had to suffer. Over 800 patients with chronic illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, and others have lost access to treatment due to the closure of MSF services in the area. 'We need a hospital nearby that can help mothers and children. Without it, many will suffer and lose their lives,' says Nyapual. MSF in Ulang Since 2018, MSF had been providing vital health services in Ulang including trauma, maternal and paediatric care. The teams also supported 13 facilities to offer essential healthcare services. Over the past seven years, MSF teams carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also provided support to Nasir County hospital and responded to multiple emergencies and disease outbreaks. Nyapual's story, along with those of many others, serves as a stark reminder that healthcare is a fundamental right and should never be a target. The consequences of attacks to healthcare are more than the damage to a building; it's the loss of hope, safety, and the chance for a healthier future. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
