The MSF Charter declares our key principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality. That means we put the people we serve first, going where others can’t or won’t provide care. We work solely based on our independent assessment of people’s needs irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation.

But what do the principles of "independence, impartiality, and neutrality" look like in practice? Here is an example:

Of the more than 70 countries where our teams work, Afghanistan remains one of the most dangerous places we provide care. Yesterday, we shared an update on the rapidly evolving situation on the ground. A surge of violence is impeding access to care, increasing the numbers of people killed and wounded by bullets and explosions, causing widespread displacement, and pushing health workers to their limit.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have been on the ground in Afghanistan since 1980, filling important gaps where health services are limited or unavailable. Witnessing the situations the most vulnerable people face has been at the core of our work since the beginning, and we will continue to push for no one to be left behind.

We are working in Helmand, Herat, Kandahar, Khost, and Kunduz provinces, where we treat war-wounded patients, drug-resistant tuberculosis, malnutrition, COVID-19, and more. In July, we provided 12,000 liters of drinking water per day to displaced people living at a school in Kunduz.

Health care facilities in Afghanistan are frequently the target of violence. Our own facilities have been targets of violent attacks that have claimed innocent lives. But needs remain great and MSF is committed to providing care as long as our teams are able to create a safe working space for themselves and their patients.

At the end of 2020, despite additional needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, many international donors cut funding or tied funding to political conditions, leaving the country’s fragile health system and health partners to meet growing needs.

Our teams on the ground see the severity of Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation firsthand. Guided by the principles laid out in the MSF charter, we will continue to provide lifesaving medical care and humanitarian assistance to those most in need.

Read on to learn more about our commitment to independence, impartiality, and neutrality: