More Needs to Be Done to End Attacks on Medical Facilities: MSF

Edited by Pavel Jacomino
2016-09-27 15:33:52

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Geneva, September 27 (RHC/Xinhua) -- Doctors Without Borders (MSF) urged states on Tuesday to protect access to medical care in conflicts after releasing findings of attacks on two medical facilities run or supported by the charity in war-torn Yemen.

"Whilst there are significant differences in the circumstances surrounding each incident, in both cases, the bombings hit fully functioning health facilities and the protected nature of the medical mission was not respected," MSF said in a statement ahead of a United Nations Security Council session on the protection of medical missions.

The attacks, which were acknowledged by the Saudi Led Coalition (SLC), hit a hospital in Abs, Hajjah governorate on August 15, 2016 and a MSF clinic in Taiz city on December 2, 2015.

The GPS coordinates of both facilities had been shared with the Saudi Led Coalition. Doctors Without Borders logos had also been clearly displayed.

The airstrikes resulted in the death of 20 people, mostly patients, while a further 32 were wounded.

The bombings also had long-term repercussions as civilians living in precarious conditions were left without access to healthcare and medical facilities.

In the statement, Doctors Without Borders 'reiterates its call for all warring parties to uphold the principles of humanitarian law which protect civilians as well as medical facilities, patients and staff, and thus reduce the massive human cost that has characterized the Yemeni conflict."



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