War and conflict

War and conflict

If warring parties see aid organisations as being on one side of a conflict, we are less likely to gain access to those in need and more likely to be attacked. 

One of the ways in which we are able to demonstrate our independence to warring parties is to ensure that all our funding for work in conflicts comes from private individuals – we do not accept government grants. 
 
Conflicts, be they international wars or those within countries, can have many consequences. 
 
Fear of violence or persecution uproots entire communities and disrupts access to medical care for those that flee as well as those who stay behind.  
 
Conflicts normally lead to a rise in trauma injuries, but also lead to problems for people needing normal medical care, such as complications with pregnancy or chronic diseases such as diabetes.  
 
Psychological distress and mental illnesses also generally rise, as can cases of sexual violence.  
 
We try to fill these gaps with highly experienced doctors, nurses, and logisticians, who provide specialised medical care and logistical support. 

 
Access to Healthcare

Ethiopia: “They saw soldiers and civilians coming in, wounded or dead”

Project Update 19 Dec 2020
 
Operating theatre at MSF’s trauma centre in Mocha, in the Red Sea Coast region of Yemen.
Access to Healthcare

Recurring nightmare - civilians wounded and killed in indiscriminate frontline hostilities in Yemen

Press Release 15 Dec 2020
 
Sadiya M. with her 1.5 y/o son waiting for treatment in Anka MSF hospital, Zamfara state
Access to Healthcare

Nigeria: Killings, looting and abductions in Zamfara state

Crisis Update 10 Dec 2020
 
Refugees, Migration and displacement

MSF providing medical care and assistance in Sudan to people fleeing the violence in Ethiopia

Crisis Update 28 Nov 2020
 
Access to Healthcare

DRC: MSF denounces ongoing violence in Salamabila

Press Release 20 Nov 2020
 
Beneficiaries wait to receive medical consultations at the MSF clinic in Pemba
Access to Healthcare

Mozambique: Urgent assistance needed for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by violence

Press Release 4 Nov 2020