Khartoum/London 3 August 2006 The international medical aid organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today demands that provision of medical care be allowed and humanitarian work respected in the Darfur region of Sudan. MSF has been forced to suspend many activities due to renewed violence, leaving thousands of patients untreated everyday.
Médecins Sans Frontières has been attacked in the past weeks in several locations in all regions of Darfur. Amongst the latest incidents:
* July 14th - armed men robbed our compound and stole a car in Serif Umra;
* July 16th - an ambulance was shot at on the road between el Geneina and Mornay, the driver was beaten;
* July 18th - another MSF vehicle was stolen from a medical facility in Shangil Tobaya;
* July 20th - a team was robbed and beaten on the road between Golo and Niertiti.
Security incidents have led to the evacuation of our teams in Serif Umra and two projects in the Jebel Marra. The work of mobile clinics has been interrupted and teams are unable to refer emergency cases to surgical facilities in some areas. This reduction in our work has immediate and serious consequences for the population.
According to MSF's Programme Director, Dr Denis Lemasson, who has just returned from Sudan:
"Several incidents over the last few months point to a worsening of the situation throughout Darfur. The number of armed groups has increased, related in part to internal divisions among government and back-up troops, dissident groups, rebel groups, and others who have clashed repeatedly. In recent weeks, we have also observed acts of organized crime and other criminal activity which have specifically affected international aid organizations.
At least five international aid workers have been killed over the last three weeks. MSF has experienced four major incidents. While I was visiting Mornay, a team arrived. They had been attacked and beaten on the road and their car struck by gunfire. The team was lucky to make it back.
After that incident, we were forced to suspend traveling on the road to El Geneina. If a patient were to arrive in Mornay today and needed an operation, we would not be able to transfer that person. We have also had to suspend the work of our mobile clinics that serve the nomadic population. In other locations, we have had to evacuate entire teams. We can't expose them to the risk of being killed.
Displaced and isolated civilians are directly affected by any reduction of international aid. More than three years after the killings of 2003 and massive population displacements, what is striking is that the populations are experiencing the state of emergency created by that conflict. The displaced persons all have the same needs and are completely dependent on international aid for access to food, water, health care, and shelter. When they go outside the camp, they run the daily risk of beatings, rape, and death.
If security problems result in the closure of programmes, basic survival needs will not be met. That is why we are asking today that all armed actors in the field do not interfere with the work of humanitarian aid organizations. "
MSF has been working in Darfur since 2003 and currently has over 2000 staff working in 17 locations in the region. Teams provide medical consultations, hospital care, surgery, emergency referrals and run nutritional programmes.