MSF aid agency evacuate all international staff from northeast Syria; Warn of growing crisis
International medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has suspended the majority of its activities and evacuate all its international staff from northeast Syria.
The aid agency revealed that since Wednesday the extremely volatile situation in northeast Syria has forced MSF international staff to evacuate from MSF’s projects in Ain Issa, Al Hol, Tal Abyad, Tal Tamer, Tal Kocher/ Yaroubiyah, Kobane/ Ain Al Arab and Raqqa city.
The move follows the launch of Turkish military operations in the region last week.
MSF said in a statement that the highly unpredictable and fast-changing situation made it impossible for them to negotiate safe access to deliver healthcare and provide humanitarian assistance to people in distress.
“The people in northeast Syria have already endured years of conflict and uncertainty. The latest developments have only increased the need for humanitarian assistance, yet it is impossible to deliver it with the current insecurity,” sRobert Onus, MSF Emergency Manager for Syria said.
“It is with a heavy heart that MSF has taken the difficult decision to suspend the majority of its activities and evacuated its international staff out of northeast Syria. We cannot operate at scale until we can gain the assurances and acceptance of all parties to the conflict that we can operate safely.”
“We are extremely worried about the safety of our Syrian colleagues and their families who remain in northeast Syria in these troubled times. We will continue to support our Syrian colleagues remotely and explore all possible options to deliver assistance to the people in northeast Syria, despite the constraints.” he went on.
According to MSF airstrikes, shelling, and armed clashes have had a grave impact on the civilian population and on the ability of humanitarian organisations to deliver aid safely.
MSF went on to reveal how on October 13, dozens of people wounded by an airstrike were brought into Tal Tamer hospital. They report that in Ain Issa town, teams witnessed the population fleeing their homes on foot and seeking safety away from the ongoing conflict. Health workers were evacuated and relocated from the Ain Issa hospital, which had been one of the main hospitals treating wounded people over the past five days.
Today, as MSF teams depart, the group said people in Ain Issa camp are severely lacking food, water and medical assistance.
Just last week, MSF teams were providing healthcare and, supplying water and mental health support to people living in the camp. Now they are left in a very precarious situation and we are extremely worried for their wellbeing.
MSF concluded by calling on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians.
"We further call on them to provide humanitarian organisations with safe and unhindered access to the civilian population so they can deliver assistance, at a time when it is urgently needed," they said.
