30 May 2013 —Following the attack on an office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Jalalabad, eastern Afghanistan, the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) strongly condemns violence against humanitarian workers and facilities.
“MSF calls on all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to respect humanitarian workers as well as medical facilities, which must remain safe and neutral,” says Brice de le Vingne, MSF’s director of operations.
The need for impartial humanitarian assistance remains acute in Afghanistan. “Violence undermines the capacity of humanitarian organisations to carry out their work, which will have serious consequences for Afghan people relying heavily on their assistance,” adds de le Vingne.
In Afghanistan, MSF works in Ahmad Shah Baba Hospital in eastern Kabul and Boost Hospital in Lashkargah, Helmand Province. In northern Afghanistan, the organization runs a surgical trauma centre in Kunduz, providing lifesaving surgical care. In the eastern province of Khost, MSF also manages a maternity hospital. In all locations, MSF provides medical care free of charge.
MSF relies solely on private donations for its work in Afghanistan and does not accept any government funding