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MdM voices its positions and recommendations through press releases that you can find in this section. We also can sign joint statements (other press releases). You can also read the testimonies from the field or from MdM staff.
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 […]
Unacceptable!
Unacceptable! A hospital supported by Medecins du Monde, located in southern Syria, in the Governorate of Dera’a, was bombed on Sunday July 31st. Medecins du Monde reiterates its call to stop the attacks targeting the health infrastructures and to put an end to the unacceptable escalation of violence. The Medecins du Monde team working in […]
Doctors of the World raises the alarm about the hundreds of thousands of besieged civilians in Aleppo
(Paris, 28 July 2016) The situation in the Governorates of Aleppo and Idlib has very much deteriorated in a few weeks. Doctors of the World can see the dramatic impact on the civilian population that is being held hostage. The healthcare facilities continue to be under regular attack. Over a period of a week, […]
Gaza,the impossible reconstruction
Two years after the Israeli military operation on Gaza in the summer of 2014, which claimed the lives of almost 1,500 Palestinians, the debris remain visible in the strip. The reconstruction of the infrastructure, medical infrastructure in particular, and the rehousing of the 100,000 people who were rendered homeless due to the war, is halted […]
The European Union ignores the basic needs of thousands of people
The 20th June is a symbolic day dedicated to all refugees and in the context of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, it reminds us that the international humanitarian law and asylum law are violated every day in Europe. Doctors of the World ‐ Médecins du Monde (MdM) is a French humanitarian and public interest organization, which works in the field of international solidarity and has been helping refugees for nearly 40 years. Today, MdM is alarmed by their situation of extreme vulnerability in their countries of origin, the host countries and on the migration routes, especially in Greece which is a country of transit for hundreds of thousands of them. Since the agreement between the European Union and Turkey came into force, 50,000 refugees have been blocked in Greece and survive in poor conditions. In the face of this crisis, all MdM European network members have got into action and strengthened their healthcare teams. MdM works today in 28 different places in Greece and intervenes directly in camps or through mobile clinics. We provide hundreds of medical and psychological consultations every day. In 2015, more than 30,000 consultations took place in Lesbos and Chios and 14,000 in Idomeni. We attended in priority to the ever‐increasing number of the most vulnerable people, such as pregnant women, children, injured people and people with a chronical condition. In order to meet the basic needs of these persons, we also conducted a survey of these refugees, who mainly come from Syria. 86% of respondents declared that they had been victims of violence in their country of origin and/or during their migration. The youngest fled to avoid forced military recruitment; unprotected women alone with their children try to join their family already settled in Europe. In Turkey, which is a country of transit, some of them were forced to pay $500 to get into a refugee camp. Among those who managed to find a job, the vast majority is paid 30% less than a Turkish worker. We were also told about many acts of violence committed by the Turkish police. All these traumatic experiences have dramatic consequences for these people. The mental and physical health of the persons who managed to reach the European Union via Greece and survived crossing the 10 kilometers between Greece and Turkey, is extremely poor. Only 14% of them declare to be in good health while more than ¾ of the refugees received in our facilities say that they suffer from psychological distress. Those who stay in Greece are confined to open‐air camps and have huge medical needs. In this context, we will continue to denounce the agreement between the EU and Turkey, which violates the asylum law and the Geneva conventions. Today, refugees take more risks to reach the Fortress Europe and the death toll is unacceptable. We reaffirm the pressing need to open safe and legal routes for all these people, with the option to seek asylum in the country of their choice. The European Union must respect the fundamental rights of refugees and ensure specific protection for women and children—who now make up the majority of migrants/refugees.
Palestine: settlement and occupation, living with everyday violence
As France prepares for an international conference on reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Doctors of the World is deeply concerned about the psychosocial impact of violence related to the occupation and settlement in Palestine. The organisation condemns the surge in attacks that violate not only the rights of Palestinians but also international law. Present in […]
FACTSHEET – Settler violence: An armed wing of settlement expansion in the occupied palestinian territory
Settlers’ assaults against Palestinian communities take a variety of forms from intimidation to physical assault, stone throwing or destruction of property, trees, or crops. They tend to be repetitive, leading to a constant harassment of Palestinian communities or targeted houses. Some of them known as “price tag attacks” are more punctual and respond to actions […]
SYRIA: the urgent need for a permanent truce
While the truces and attempts at resuscitation of a moribund peace process multiply, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the Syrian conflict and humanitarian operations remain dangerous. Médecins du Monde asks for a lasting truce to facilitate humanitarian work and protect populations. Thursday, May 5th, a bombing of an internally displaced population’s camp nearby […]
SYRIA: Médecins du Monde CONDEMNS THE ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE IN ALEPPO
A structure supported by Médecins du Monde was destroyed. Despite the cessation of hostilities proclaimed in February 27, 2016, bombing and fighting has intensified since the beginning of April in the governorates of Idlib and Aleppo. Médecins du Monde (MdM) denounces the destruction of its structures and calls for making health care settings sacred. The recent […]
Event: National NGO fair – Lebanon
On the 5th of April 2016, our mission in Lebanon participated in the National NGO fair that was held at Sagesse University with 122 NGOs from all around Lebanon. The aim of the event is to provide a platform for the NGOs to present their respective mission, and introduce the public to their activities. In […]
Palestine Fact sheet- Destroying mental health?
A wave of demolitions in the first months of 2016 Since the beginning of January, the intensity of demolitions and displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank have reached the highest levels in seven years. Between 1 January and 15 March 2016, 378 Palestinian homes and structures were demolished by the Israeli Civil Administration (ICA), […]
Fact sheet: MdM Emergency Mental Health and Psychosocial Interventions – Palestine
Since 2012, Médecins du Monde France (MdM) is implementing a program to provide emergency Mental Health and Psychosocial support (MHPSS) to people affected by violent events in 27 villages in the North West Bank. The emergency MHPSS takes place within 72 hours after a critical incident. Whenever necessary, our psychosocial team can perform psychosocial First […]