Thursday, August 15, 2013

Doctors without Borders Leaves Somalia

France-based Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) or Doctors without Borders has decided for security reasons to pull out of Somalia after 22 years of continuous activity there.  Two MSF staff were killed in December 2011 and another pair were released last month in south central Somalia after being kidnapped 21 months ago in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp.  Attacks on MSF staff, ambulances and medical clinics have led to an additional 14 deaths.  Somalia is the only country where MSF has had to employ armed guards to protect its staff who are already severely limited where they can work. 

For additional background on this development, see the 15 August 2013 "Why MSF Pulled Out of Somalia" by Jenny Lei Ravelo, a staff writer for Devex.