Moments of hope in a year of turmoil

Telling the Rohingya story with the taro leaf

The taro leaf, and its accompanying proverb—”We are like water on a taro leaf”—is a powerful metaphor for the Rohingya experience of statelessness. In June 2025, MSF joined forces with Australian and Rohingya artists and students in Cox’s Bazar to create seven taro leaf designs, an animation, a poem, a folk story, and more—to honor Rohingya identity. "We are like dust on the river’s surface—always moving," says Rayhana, a Rohingya refugee. "But we are human, and we deserve human rights. We deserve to be recognized as an ethnic group of Myanmar.”

From Gaza to Marseille for care

MSF nursing supervisor Emad and his family evacuated Gaza after surviving hunger, bombings, and multiple displacements due to the Israeli forces' campaign in the Strip. His 7-year-old daughter, Sila, suffers from a congenital heart condition, which eventually led to the family’s evacuation to France, where Sila is now receiving medical care. 

A smile in the ER

Clinical mentor Momoh Sao and nurse aide Aminata Koroma examine 6-month-old Ogar in the emergency room at MSF's Mother and Child Hospital in Kenema district, Sierra Leone. Boima had a high fever and was brought to the hospital by his mother, Fatmata Gbassay.

Climate action through song and dance

In the run-up to COP30 in November, MSF collaborated with West African artists to produce a video on the health impacts of climate change. Featuring singers and dancers, "Clima Yaakaar" (based on the word for "hope" in Wolof) sheds light on the issue using artistic interpretations of MSF testimonies.  

Victory for mother and child

“When I look at my daughter Victoire, I see everything I've been through,” says Sifa, an MSF patient who suffered complications during her high-risk pregnancy in DRC. "I really thought I wouldn't survive. I tell myself that MSF saved me and my daughter. Victoire is MSF's victory.” 

Brief respite for displaced children in Darfur

Children displaced from Khartoum play outside a former school that now serves as their shelter. Families who fled the fighting in Sudan’s capital have taken refuge in abandoned buildings across El Geneina, a city under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.  

Communicating trauma with toys

Four-year-old Yara plays with a doll beside her mother at Nasser Hospital in Gaza, where she is receiving care after Israeli forces bombed the school where she was sheltering. The smoke inhalation left her permanently dependent on oxygen. Here, she pretends to administer oxygen to her doll.  

A veteran’s best therapist

As a veteran of several wars—from the Soviet-Afghan conflict in the 1980s to the current war in Ukraine— Oleksii has complex post-traumatic stress disorder. He receives therapy at MSF’s center in Vinnytsia, which has helped him heal and stabilize. But his “best therapists,” he says, are his five cats and Labrador.

A patient’s warm farewell

Cecilia, an MSF patient in Mexico, received palliative care treatment due to an untreatable tumor. As a farewell, she asked for a cake, which was delivered by her doctor, Dr. Itzel Rivera.

A chance at childhood outside of Gaza

Omar, the son of MSF nurse Mohammad Al Hawajri, attends a class at MSF’s reconstructive surgery hospital in Amman, Jordan, where he has undergone several surgeries and received mental health care after being injured by shrapnel in an Israeli strike in Gaza. He can now stand, walk, and play again.

Healing, hand-in-hand

MSF play counselor Kemoh Kargbo holds 3-year-old Michael’s hand in the pediatrics ward at MSF’s Mother and Child Hospital in Kenema, Sierra Leone. Kemoh is conducting a developmental assessment for Michael, testing his motor progression after the child was brought to the hospital for a high fever caused by malaria. 

Diabetes care at the doorstep

Caregiver Nokhawuntala Chithilali (left) provides support to diabetes patient Sinazo at the Nyhwara pick-up point in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. By bringing care closer to home, local caregivers play a key role in helping patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes. 

Life after TB treatment

Muhammad tosses a ball to his 6-year-old son, Mustafa, at home in Hafizabad, Karachi, Pakistan. Mustafa has completed six months of treatment for tuberculosis (TB) at MSF’s clinic in Baldia, where MSF supports a decentralized model of TB care that focuses on pediatric cases. 

Rehabilitation after malnutrition

MSF staff provide physiotherapy to malnourished babies at Haydan Hospital in northern Yemen. Malnutrition causes neuromotor delays and neuromuscular deficiencies in children, conditions that can be addressed through rehabilitation.  

Celebrating partnership with Indigenous communities

A Sanöma shaman—regarded as a traditional doctor in their Indigenous community—participates in the closing ceremony for MSF's project in the Auaris region of Brazil. The project involved working closely with members of local Indigenous communities to fuse cultural practices and knowledge with traditional medicine, improving access to health care for people in this remote area. 

Women helping women reduce maternal mortality

Before MSF arrived in the southern department of Couffo, Benin, only a small percentage of pregnant women and women of reproductive age were visiting a health center on a regular basis. Most women were not getting medical check-ups during their pregnancies, and often gave birth at home. Today, outreach and health promotion activities in Couffo’s villages are carried out mainly by women trained by MSF who connect patients with health centers, leading to more regular monitoring. 

Navigating life after war with art

Georges and Timotaos, psychologists with MSF's mobile medical teams, lead play and drawing sessions with children in southern Lebanon, which was heavily impacted by Israeli bombardment and displacement. The sessions create safe spaces for self-expression and help children process their emotions as they navigate challenges in an unrecognizable landscape.

A brighter future for Rohingya youth

A Rohingya girl studies in her shelter in Kutapalong refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar. Aid cuts have led to the closure of learning centers and termination of over 1,000 teachers’ contracts in camps. Education is one of the few opportunities that Rohingya youth have to improve their situation. 

A voice for transgender patients

“As a refugee here in Greece, I’ve faced struggles that have challenged me in ways I never thought I’d be able to overcome,” says Ovileya, who is from Bangladesh. “But through all of these struggles, I’ve grown more resilient and more determined. I’m especially passionate about improving transgender health care, because I know firsthand how much it matters. Access to proper care isn’t a privilege—it’s a necessity—and I want to be a voice for those in my community who may not yet be able to speak up.” 

Back to school after TB care

Abu Al-Fadl (center) sits with his father and an MSF health promoter at Mustafa Al-Adhari Health Center in Sadr City upon the completion of his treatment for tuberculosis. Soon, he will soon return to school.

A laugh before treatment

Nurse Zannatul Arafat prepares 4-year-old Shofi Mohammad for an operation to treat multiple abscesses at MSF’s Kutupalong Hospital.

Teamwork to beat cholera

MSF team members Smira Abakar Nahar Gria and Madiha Haroon Ali Ishag participate in a soap distribution to aid in cholera prevention and control in Adré, eastern Chad. MSF carried out cholera prevention and control activities including vaccination, cold chain management, active case finding, health promotion, soap distribution, water supply and water network rehabilitation.