Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) on Monday announced its decision to end activities and withdraw from Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul, following an attack on its maternity ward last month that killed 25 people.
In a statement, MSF said that the decision comes with the understanding that while no information has emerged about the perpetrators or motive of the assault, mothers, babies and health staff were deliberate targets of the attack, and that similar attacks may occur in the future.
“We were aware that our presence in Dasht-e-Barchi carried risks, but we just couldn’t believe that someone would take advantage of the absolute vulnerability of women about to give birth to murder them and their babies,” says Thierry Allafort-Duverger, MSF Director General. “But it did happen.”
“Today, we have to accept reality: higher walls and thicker security doors won’t prevent such horrific assaults from happening again,” said Allafort-Duverger. “To remain would mean to factor in such loss of human lives as a parameter of our activity, and this is unthinkable.”
MSF said that it was looking into ways to support local initiatives aimed at improving access to healthcare.
