Doctors Without Borders Says It Is Leaving Kunduz After Strike on Hospital

[n2doc]

KABUL, Afghanistan — Doctors Without Borders said Sunday that it was withdrawing from Kunduz, a day after its hospital there was hit by what appeared to be an American airstrike, leaving the remaining residents in the embattled northern Afghan city even more vulnerable.

The aid organization also raised the death toll in Saturday’s airstrike on the hospital, saying that three more patients had died, raising the total fatalities to 22 — 10 patients and 12 staff members. The charity has said that at least three of the dead patients were children, and that 37 people were wounded in the attack.

“No medical activities are possible now in the M.S.F. hospital in Kunduz, at a time when the medical needs are immense,” said Tim Shenk, a spokesman for the organization in New York.

The charity, known internationally as Médecins Sans Frontières, or M.S.F., called on its Twitter feed for an independent investigation, “under the clear presumption that a war crime has been committed.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/05/world/asia/doctors-without-borders-says-it-is-leaving-kunduz-after-strike-on-hospital.html?_r=0

[TipTok]

1. Bad things happen in war zones...

It's sad but taking fire is part of the MSF mission if they are going to treat everyone on all sides.

[PSPS]

2. I guess you mean "stuff happens." Right?

[Enrique]

5. so they run the risk of the U.S. deliberately bombing them?

the official response is that it was an accident, but your statement seems to justify a deliberate attack.

[TipTok]

9. Not at all...

Part of the ethos of MSF is to treat people regardless of political affiliation.

That means they work in areas with folks in them that are targetable and thus MDF also puts themselves at risk through association.

Same sort of thing for media types... Hazard of the job...

[MH1]

6. "Taking fire" is one thing.

Having your hospital bombed for 30 minutes by the supposed "good guys" is quite another.

MSF is a very valuable organization that does important work around the world. They just lost 12 - TWELVE - of their people due to either stupidity or viciousness or a combination of those.

It would be irresponsible for them to continue to work in such a risky location when there are many other places they can be valuable at somewhat less risk.

[TipTok]

8. Just based on my own experience...

These things have momentum and real inertia that makes them difficult to change ... let alone stop...

It doesn't automatically imply malicious intent.

I agree with you last bit though. There are lots of places where they can do good and not have significant chances of being overrun or attacked.

[hunter]

3. Mission Accomplished?

You don't suppose this was a deliberate strike on Médecins Sans Frontières?

I honestly don't know.

[HooptieWagon]

7. They had given precise location previously.

And they contacted US, Afghan, and military officials during the bombing, which continued another 30 minutes. Only the hospital building was hit, not surrounding grounds or structures.
Evidence seems to support the hospital being deliberately targeted...similar to when Palestinian hospital was targeted by Israeli military.

[malaise]

4. I agree with them

No one is safe