- Title: KENYA/FILE: Doctors Without Borders pulls out of Somalia due to attacks
- Date: 14th August 2013
- Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (AUGUST 14, 2013) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES, UNNI KARUNAKARA, SAYING: "Throughout our 22-year history in Somalia, MSF has negotiated with armed actors and authorities on all sides. The exceptional humanitarian needs in the country have pushed MSF and our staffers to tolerate unparalleled levels of risk,
- Embargoed: 29th August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Somalia
- Country: Somalia
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA1YWUBCAMTQ7V41AX9C62FBM7
- Story Text: The international medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) began closing all its humanitarian operations in Somalia on Wednesday because of attacks on its staff, the organisation said on Wednesday (August 14).
The withdrawal of MSF - also known as Doctors Without Borders - is a blow to the government's effort to persuade Somalis and foreign donors that security is improving despite a stubborn Islamist insurgency.
Unni Karunakara, MSF's international president, acknowledged the charity's departure would cut off hundreds of thousands of Somalis from medical help.
"It is my painful task to announce that Medecines Sans Frontieres will begin closure of all medical humanitarian activities in Somalia, starting today. This decision has not been taken lightly. Working continuously in Somalia since 1991, we are very aware of the immense needs that face the Somali people," said Karunakara There was no immediate comment from the Somali government, which is struggling to haul the nation out of two decades of conflict and provides few public services such as health and education.
The announcement came about a month after two female Spanish aid workers employed by MSF were freed by their Somali kidnappers after almost two years in captivity.
"The closure of our activities is a direct result of extreme attacks on our staff- in an environment where armed groups and civilian leaders increasingly support, tolerate, or condone the killing, assaulting and abducting of humanitarian aid workers," said Karunakara In early 2012 MSF shut down two major medical centres in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after two international staff were shot dead by a former colleague in the heart of the government-controlled city.
Fourteen other MSF staff members have been killed since 1991 when civil war erupted in the country.
"Throughout our 22-year history in Somalia, MSF has negotiated with armed actors and authorities on all sides. The exceptional humanitarian needs in the country have pushed MSF and our staffers to tolerate unparalleled levels of risk, much of it borne by our Somali colleagues and to accept serious compromises to our principles of independence and impartiality. But we have reached our limit," added Karunakara Somalia has been mired in chaos for nearly two decades since the fall of Siad Barre's government. An African Union (AU) force comprising Ugandan, Djiboutian, Kenyan and Burundian soldiers is fighting al Shabaab in various parts of the country keeping President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's government in power. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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