Stories & News

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. 

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued unabated around the world, as did the work our teams undertook to respond to it. But the pandemic took a backseat in many countries, as other crises and needs overtook the concerns of the people we assist.

Yoeuth Yoeun fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the late 1970s. In a refugee camp in Thailand she worked with Médecins Sans Frontières—where she caught the eye of fellow Cambodian, pharmacist Chamroeun Ros.

Psychologist Malcolm Hugo is one of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia’s most experienced field workers. He has completed more than 20 field assignments, including responding to some of the key humanitarian crises of recent times.

The uneven progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and the unequal access to vaccines and treatments calls for locally tailored approaches.

Isabelle Defourny, Director of Operations for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), discusses the 'one-size-fits-all' approach to COVID-19 vaccination advocated for by the UN, and the urgent need for vaccines in low income countries.

The World Health Organization’s declaration of Omicron as a “variant of concern” shows how critical it is to lift global COVID-19 vaccination rates. With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of abating, prioritising access to COVID-19 medical tools for everyone, everywhere is essential.

Low vaccination rates increase the likelihood of new variants, such as Omicron, appearing. If we vaccinate the world more quickly, the chance of mutations drops.