MSF-USA: MSF Programs in Afghanistan Affected by Looting But Still Running

October 23, 2001
MSF Programs in Afghanistan Affected by Looting But Still Running

MSF operations inside the Taliban-held areas of Afghanistan continue to function after last week's looting of MSF offices in the cities of Mazar-I-Sharif and Kandahar. The lootings did cause the suspension of some operations, and MSF remains concerned over the condition of the civilian population in Afghanistan and the lack of independent humanitarian access within the country.

In Kandahar, MSF continues to run a nutritional feeding center, serving almost 8,000 children, in the province and to support the pediatric ward of Herat hospital, where MSF has been providing approximately 1600 consultations per month.

In Mazar-I-Sharif, MSF has resumed its mobile clinic operations, which provide medical care to internally displaced people in camps surrounding the city. In addition, the organization continues to perform consultations in 19 district health centers serving approximately 400,000 people.

MSF has worked continuously in Afghanistan since 1979. Before the withdrawal of the majority of its international staff, MSF had 70 international and over 400 Afghan staff working on medical and nutritional programs throughout the country. At present, MSF teams continue to work in the Northern Alliance-controlled regions of northeastern Afghanistan. Additional MSF teams continue to provide assistance to Afghan refugees in neighboring Iran and Pakistan and are preparing for a possible influx of additional refugees, as are MSF teams working in neighboring Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.