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MSF suspends medical charity work in Nigerian town after a deadly raid on personnel
Over 40,000 people living the town of Ronn rely solely on activities of MSF to access basic medical care.
According to Reuters, suspected Boko Haram militants were reported to have launched an onslaught on a military barracks in the town late on Thursday and killed at least 11 people including three aid workers.
As a result, the charity movement stopped his work and moved its personnel out of the location.
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“Following a violent attack in Rann, Borno state, on Thursday 1 March, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) suspended its medical activities in the town and evacuated 22 national and international staff.”
“It is still unclear how many people were killed and injured but before leaving, MSF medical staff treated 9 wounded patients,” it added.
Kerri Ann Kelly, MSF Emergency Coordinator in Nigeria said that leaving over 40,000 people including children without medical care is an extremely painful decision.
“Leaving our patients, which include 60 children currently enrolled in our nutrition programme, without medical assistance, is an extremely painful decision,” Kerri said.
“We will continue to evaluate how the situation evolves and we will return as soon as the conditions allow. This latest attack is a stark reminder that it is the people in Borno who are paying the price of this ruthless conflict. They are trapped in a deadly cycle of violence and are heavily reliant on external assistance to survive. In Rann, this is now considerably reduced.”
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The 40,000 people living in Rann were relying almost entirely on MSF’s services to access healthcare since January, 2017. The town was cut off from the outside world during the months of the rainy season in 2017, and no food or aid supplies were brought in during this time.
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