MSF eNews: Disease, danger and drought

The many emergencies facing our staff and patients

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June 1, 2026 2:50am EDT

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Dear Friend,

At MSF we are always working on our emergency preparedness, and that has helped us respond quickly to the Ebola outbreak that took hold in the northeastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) this month, with people infected with the virus also crossing into Uganda. Our teams were able to rapidly mobilise and start bringing in additional supplies and experienced staff to support a growing number of patients at risk of infection, in an area that’s also affected by ongoing armed conflict.

We were also moved to see a huge response from our supporters who were quick to show their solidarity with the plight of people in the DRC during this especially challenging time.

When our staff work on our projects in conflict zones there are international laws and protections that should shield them and patients from becoming targets. That includes United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286, which was adopted 10 years ago on 3 May 2016. It was born from outrage at the systematic targeting of healthcare in Syria, and at the 2015 bombing and destruction of MSF’s trauma centre in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that killed 42 people.

Unfortunately, these safeguarding mechanisms are being utterly disregarded, as attacks on hospitals, patients, ambulances and medical staff have become what MSF legal director Claude Maon called a “standard feature of war” when she delivered a briefing to the UN Security Council on 5 May.

While that 10-year anniversary was not a positive one, we have been able to celebrate some other notable events, including the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May, and International Nurses Day on 12 May.

We are known as Doctors Without Borders, but nurses and midwives provide the backbone of much of the care that MSF provides around the world. I highly encourage you to check out two articles that reflect the unique experiences of some of our nurses and midwives from around the world and appreciate their extraordinary impact, often in highly challenging circumstances.

Many of these professionals work in Gaza where the situation continues to be dire as Israel has manufactured a water and malnutrition crisis on top of the ongoing violence.

Despite the current ceasefire, Israeli authorities have continued to restrict access to water as a weapon against Palestinians, systematically depriving people in Gaza of the vital resource in a campaign of collective punishment. This article details how that campaign is being carried out – including the senseless killing of children as they try to collect water – as part of the ongoing genocide.

A lack of water is also taking a toll on the people of Somalia and Ethiopia but for very different, environmental reasons as a massive, months-long drought has decimated the landscape, which in turn has led to high levels of acute food insecurity. For more than 6.5 million people - approximately one in four Somalis – it's putting their lives and livelihoods in imminent danger. The drought is also displacing millions of people, and causing a rise in water-borne diseases, highlighting how critical the resource is to all aspects of life.

With so many large and varied challenges in the world, it can feel insurmountable, but keeping informed and engaged in what is happening elsewhere in the world is a vital step in resolving these problems. On behalf of our staff and patients, I thank you for taking the time to bear witness to their stories.

Warm regards,

Tom Roth
Executive Director
Médecins Sans Frontières Australia

Top Stories

It’s been 10 years since the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2286 calling for the protection of medical personnel and facilities in armed conflicts, in response to the systematic targeting of healthcare, and the deadly bombing of MSF’s trauma centre in Kunduz, Afghanistan. But while the resolution attempted to draw a line in the sand, the problem is now worse than ever as deliberate attacks on patients, staff and health facilities have become a normalised and tacitly accepted part of warfare.

Midwives: With women on the emergency frontline

In honour of International Day of the Midwife, we’re shining a light on the role of midwives as frontline emergency responders. While they are essential during obstetric emergencies, our midwives go above and beyond in humanitarian emergencies to not only provide lifesaving care but also support women and girls in their diverse, and often amplified, health needs.

Nurses: Empathetic, empowered and essential

In celebration of International Nurses Day, we are highlighting some of the diverse roles our nursing staff undertake in a wide array of challenging and complex circumstances. Nurses work with our patients in every aspect of their healthcare journey, from the very beginning of life, until the end. Despite their fundamental role in every aspect of healthcare, the global medical shortage is especially acute when it comes to nurses.

Water Wars: How Israeli restrictions are a weapon of collective punishment against Palestinians in Gaza

There may officially be a ‘ceasefire’ in place in Gaza, but that does not reflect the reality of everyday life for patients and MSF staff as horrendous violence continues daily. On top of that a man-made malnutrition crisis, and restrictions on water have been weaponised by Israel in a campaign of collective punishment. After local authorities, MSF is the largest producer and a main distributor of drinking water in Gaza. This article details the experiences of MSF staff and locals who’ve been actively prevented from accessing water, including accounts of children who’ve been killed while attempting to collect the vital resource.

Disease, displacement and destitution: Deadly drought hits Somalia and Ethiopia

For six months, Somalia and Ethiopia have been battling a crippling drought that has devastated livestock and livelihoods, and the situation is worsening rapidly. More than 6.5 million Somalis are now facing high levels of acute food insecurity, and more than two million – most of whom are children – are at high risk of malnutrition and death. The lack of water has forced 3.3 million people into displacement, and the risk of water-borne diseases is rising exponentially as too many people are relying on too few sources of often unsafe water. MSF is on the front line of the crisis as hospitals are becoming overwhelmed.

Médecins Sans Frontières Australia, PO Box 847, Broadway NSW 2007, Australia.
ABN: 74 068 758 654. Registered Charity Number: CFN 11960.

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MSF eNews: Disease, danger and drought