From the Executive Director
As you may be aware, MSF is facing a tough October in 2015. In Afghanistan, our trauma hospital in Kunduz, which is the only facility of its kind in the area, was bombed. It results in the biggest loss of life for MSF in an airstrike - at least 12 MSF staff and 10 patients were killed.
We strongly condemned the attack for it constitutes a violation of International Humanitarian Law, and it deprives the local populations of receiving medical care when they need it most. At the time of writing this article, MSF is calling for an independent investigation with maximum transparency and accountability.
While news about the attack has been hitting the headlines, we must not forget that another merciless war is now taking place in the Middle East and is getting minimal coverage.
The armed conflicts in Yemen started in March 2015 and quickly dragged the whole country into extreme violence and insecurity. MSF has treated more than 13,000 war wounded, but many more are left without healthcare because health facilities are destroyed, have no fuel to operate or the roads are too dangerous to travel. The population is in great need of everything, from food and water to shelters and healthcare, but the international response is far too low. By featuring Yemen in our Cover Story, we want to put this forgotten war into the spotlight and give it the attention it deserves.
Meanwhile, people are not only suffering from brutal wars, but also when they are fleeing their countries because of wars. In the Photo Feature, we will talk about MSF’s work on the Mediterranean and across Europe to assist refugees along their migration routes.
There are also patients dying from preventable diseases such as pneumonia, simply because the vaccine prices are not affordable. The Medical Info looks at the mystery behind skyrocketed vaccine prices and explains why this has to be changed.
Working in some of the most unstable and complicated places, we not only count on our professional and flexible field workers to act efficiently and effectively, but also so many of you, who have been continuously supporting us in different ways - including the two youngsters featured in the MSF-Hong Kong section. Thank you very much for being with us.
Rémi Carrier, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières Hong Kong
