Stories & News

Arunn Jegan, Médecins Sans Frontières Advocacy Coordinator, reflects on the state of the world’s health and crises from an imagined vantage point a decade from now.

Typhoon Rai devastated central and southern Philippines in December 2021. MSF's emergency intervention is located in two of the typhoon’s most badly affected areas—the island province of Dinagat; and Siargao island, in the province of Surigao del Norte. 

Two months on, survivors and MSF staff share their stories about the impact of the typhoon on their lives and livelihoods.

Conflict in Yemen has been ongoing for more than six years. Marib, located in northeast on the edge of large deserts, is one of the active frontlines. The oil and gas rich area is located at a crossroads between the southern and northern regions, and is considered a key strategic location to control for the warring parties.

Months of tension and protests in Burkina Faso culminated in a military takeover on Monday 24 January. The political crisis adds to a fragile context characterised by an ongoing conflict with a dramatic downturn in security and rocketing displacement.

The crisis has left many people in Burkina Faso struggling to find food, water, shelter and medical care. Humanitarian organisations have also been hit by the violence, making it extremely challenging to provide much-needed aid. 

An airstrike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition on Yemen's Sa'ada City Remand Prison killed at least 82 people and injured 266, while the death toll is likely to increase as searchers comb the rubble.

The airstrike is only the latest in a drawn-out conflict that continues to have devastating impacts on the population. 

Overwhelming violence has tormented people in Djugu’s territory, Ituri’s province, north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2017, as community tensions have sparked the resurgence of an armed conflict. 

On 16 December 2021, Typhoon Rai—locally known as Odette—devastated central and southern Philippines. An estimated 405 people are dead, with 65 missing and 1261 injured. More than 1.3 million homes have been destroyed.

In the months since South Sudan was hit with the worst flooding in decades, more than 835,000 people have been living in dire conditions. With water levels in affected areas unlikely to recede, those displaced may not be able to go back home before the next rainy season begins. 

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are responding by providing clean water, food, shelter, health care, and access to hygiene and sanitation services. 

Following a tumultuous year which saw a military takeover, horrific violence and widespread civil disobedience, Myanmar’s public healthcare system remains in disarray. Most medical staff remain on strike, and the devastating COVID-19 outbreak has overwhelmed hospitals. 

As we mark 50 years of medical humanitarian action, Dr Christos Christou, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International President, reflects on what has changed over half a century of care—and what has stayed the same.