Medecins du Monde evacuates its staff and temporarily suspends its activities

(Paris, Tuesday 6 September 2016) Medecins du Monde is forced to evacuate its staff from Sana’a in Yemen. The country is currently facing an intensification of the coalition bombardments and a surge in violence. Medecins du Monde is calling for an immediate ceasefire to facilitate the deployment of aid and respond to the dire humanitarian needs.

Since the suspension of the peace talks on 6 August, fighting and bombardments intensified in Yemen, making the activities of the humanitarian aid agencies almost impossible to operate. It is for this reason that Medecins du Monde has decided to evacuate the personnel working in Yemen currently.

The situation in the country is alarming. “80% of the inhabitants are in dire need of urgent humanitarian aid and around 25% of the healthcare facilities have been destroyed and no longer functioning. Almost half of the population is food insecure. To respect international humanitarian law, deployment of humanitarian aid and access to the wounded should be eased” said Dr. Jean-Francois Corty, Director of International Operations for Medecins du Monde.

Medecins du Monde is urging the international community to call for a ceasefire and safe access to the population in need of humanitarian assistance.

Before this evacuation, the Medecins du Monde team was based in Sana’a to rehabilitate health centers damaged by the bombardments and to provide primary health care services. There were mobile clinics equipped to reach out to to children, women and men who do not have the ability to move around the city.

Press Contact

Aurélie Defretin/ Lisa Veran

01 44 92 13 81 -14 31 presse@medecinsdumonde.net /www.medecinsdumonde.org