Friend: At the therapeutic feeding center at Boost Hospital in Afghanistan, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medic Dr. Mohammed’s* main concern has been running out of beds. So far this year, the center has operated above capacity.
Boost Hospital treats over 400 severely malnourished children every month, and staff like Dr. Mohammed are working tirelessly to address the complex medical needs of their young patients.
“We are providing something that would otherwise be out of reach for people here: life-saving medical care that is free,” says Dr. Mohammed. “As medics, we don’t care about the political situation; we are here for our patients.”
Individual donors enable MSF teams to send emergency aid based on medical need alone. At a time when malnutrition around the world is reaching unprecedented levels, humanitarian support will make the difference in this crisis.
Economic sanctions are taking a toll on the people of Afghanistan—many have lost their jobs and the price of food has soared. Meanwhile, the country’s health care system is overburdened, making MSF’s operations a crucial lifeline for families seeking care.
At the height of the conflict in Afghanistan, many people were cut off from essential care. Dr. Mohammed was personally affected by this when his mother passed away after she fell ill and her route to the hospital was cut off by violent clashes.
The number of patients coming to Boost Hospital’s feeding center doubled over the last year, due in part to safer conditions for traveling. In May, 537 patients were admitted to MSF’s in-patient therapeutic feeding center, which is the most since MSF began working there in 2009.
The current hunger crisis compounds other health crises, as our MSF staff is witnessing firsthand. Malnutrition weakens a child’s immune system, making them more susceptible to diseases such as measles, malaria, pneumonia, and gastrointestinal infections. Conversely, children are more vulnerable to malnutrition while they are fighting these diseases. It’s a vicious cycle that endangers the lives of many children in Afghanistan—and it’s why treating malnutrition is of vital importance right now.
--- All gifts given, up to $575,000, will be doubled through 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 29. Every dollar you give will be matched with $1. Gifts received after the match has been met will not be matched but will be used where needed most.
*This staff member's name has been changed to protect their identity
This email was sent from the U.S. section of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care.
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