Stories & News

For over 10 months, the war in Gaza has led to the displacement of over 1.9 million people. Often forced to move within minutes of the announcement of an evacuation order by Israeli forces, many have now been displaced numerous times. 

Obstetrician-Gynaecologist Shanti Hegde is currently in Blantyre, Malawi, on her 16th assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Malawi has the second highest cervical cancer rate in the world, with over 4,000 women falling sick with the disease every year. Shanti is working on MSF’s cervical cancer program to improve early prevention, diagnosis and treatment. She kindly spoke to us about her role in this project, and what keeps her coming back to MSF. 

Today marks 500 days since the war began in Sudan, and the beginning of the current—unprecedented—humanitarian crisis. 

More than 10 million people have been displaced, according to the UN, with evidence of ethnically motivated and sexual violence emerging. Severe acute malnutrition is being reported in several areas, and infectious diseases like cholera are spreading rapidly. 

As Rohingya become increasingly trapped by raging conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine state, those who cannot pay their way across the border into Bangladesh are being left without protection or assistance.   

Myanmar is facing an acute humanitarian crisis since fighting escalated at the end of October 2023. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is witnessing a near total absence of humanitarian assistance for communities who rely on it, including the Rohingya – one of the most vulnerable people groups in the world. 

In Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the number of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases have been on the rise for more than two years. However, the situation has worsened in recent months, with a surge in the number of people affected, a mutation leading to human-to-human transmission of the virus, and the notification of suspected cases in sites for displaced people in North Kivu province. 

When war reached Nyala in Sudan, the city's hospital was so badly damaged that it was left barely functional. But with medical needs rising, this crucial healthcare facility also provided a life-line. Dr Jennifer Hulse shares how the Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team worked fast to bring back life-saving medical care to a community rocked by war.

As the fighting escalates in El Fasher once more, the impact on the lives of civilians is becoming increasingly devastating, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). Multiple attacks on the city have taken place over the past week and since Saturday, at least 15 people have been killed, and more than 130 have been injured. 

From the start of the conflict in Sudan in April 2023 until June of this year, more than 600,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived in Chad, according to data from the United Nations. For the past year Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been running an emergency response in Eastern Chad to address the medical and humanitarian needs of refugees who fled Sudan after the outbreak of war. 

Escalating numbers of Rohingya people with violence-related injuries have crossed the border into Bangladesh over the past week. The increase in violence indicates the worsening humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine state.