Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has received an extraordinary outpouring of support for the people in the areas surrounding the Indian Oceanthrough its network of offices worldwide. To date, the contributions MSF has received since the tsunami struck the region are estimated at approximately 41 million euro for this emergency.
MSF estimates that we have received sufficient funds for to the first phase of our work at this disaster.
MSF teams are working day and night to provide assistance to people affected in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and Myanmar. More relief projects will be launched by MSF in the coming days and weeks. It is therefore too early to evaluate the total cost of the MSF operations in the regions struck by the tsunami.
However we have an ethical obligation to explain the use of funds raised by MSF for the tsunami relief and to ensure that we use all funds for the purpose for which they were raised.
MSF will continue to assess the financial needs as the scope of our operations in the affected areas becomes clearer.
In this emergency, like all others, we relied on the constant support of people to respond quickly and effectively. MSF was one of the first international organisations to respond in Aceh because of the support we already had and we need this continuing support in order to react in the future.
These ongoing MSF funds have enabled us to respond quickly to the current disaster as well as to the humanitarian needs in other crisis zones worldwide, such as in war-torn Darfur, Sudan, and elsewhere in more than 70 countries in which MSF is working. Many of these countries are in dire need of emergency aid.
MSF wishes to express its gratitude to all private donors who have contributed to MSF's efforts in providing emergency relief assistance in the wake of the Asian tsunami.