News

Abandoned And Abused: The Forgotten Syrian Refugee Children On A Greek Detention Island

The Guardian (June 17, 2017 | CHIOS) Rasha went missing late afternoon last Saturday. Her peers describe hanging out as normal with the 20-year-old Syrian in the Greek refugee detention camp. Then she vanished. Read more.

EU/Greece: Pressure to Minimize Numbers of Migrants Identified As ‘Vulnerable’

Human Rights Watch (June 1, 2017 | BRUSSELS) People with disabilities and other at-risk groups go unidentified on the Greek islands as the European Union inappropriately presses Greek authorities and medical aid organizations to reduce the number of asylum seekers identified as “vulnerable,” Human Rights Watch said today. Read more.

Refugee App Used By More Than 400 Aid Organizations Was Created In A Single Weekend

Daily Dot (May 30, 2017 | NEW YORK) A humanitarian app used by more than 400 of the largest aid organizations in the world—including the Red Cross, Save the Children, and Doctors of the World—is helping connect refugees with important services. Read more.

Refugee App Used By More Than 400 Aid Organizations Was Created In A Single Weekend

Daily Dot (May 30, 2017 | NEW YORK) A humanitarian app used by more than 400 of the largest aid organizations in the world—including the Red Cross, Save the Children, and Doctors of the World—is helping connect refugees with important services. Read more.

This Refugee Aid App Was Built Over A Weekend

Mashable (May 29, 2017 | NEW YORK) Shelley Taylor calls herself a Silicon Valley veteran. Veteran, she tells me, “means old.” Raised in Palo Alto, Taylor has an extensive tech background. She isn’t an engineer, but she wrote the “bible of user interface” back in 1995 at the dawn of website creation, inventing a lot of the language still used to this day to describe websites and ecommerce. Read more.

Britain Is Becoming More Fenced Off, Vindictive and Callous

New York Times (May 28, 2017 | LONDON) In the summer of 2013, Britain’s Home Office unveiled a new campaign to tackle unwanted immigration. For a month, vans toured six London boroughs, bearing a poster that read: “In the U.K. illegally? Go home or face arrest.” Read more.

The Costly, Traumatic Nightmare Of Being Undocumented And Pregnant

Broadly (May 24, 2017 | LONDON) Li fled to the UK in 2012, escaping persecution in China for being a Christian. But her problems got exponentially worse when she found out she was pregnant. Read more.

Thousands Of Refugees On Greek Islands Risk Losing Vital Services As Charities Prepare To Withdraw

The Independent (May 21, 2017 | ATHENS) Thousands of refugees in Greece are at risk of losing vital support as charities prepare to withdraw services from camps on the country’s “hotspot” islands, as changes to EU funding are set to leave them out of contract by the end of July. Read more.

Greece: Between Deterrence and Integration

News Deeply (May 10, 2017 | ATHENS) It has been tempting amid the fallout from Greece’s historic recession to dismiss the mishandling of the other crisis forced upon it – that of hugely increased refugee and migrant flows – as unavoidable or inevitable. Read more.

Public Health Watchdog Warns That Using NHS Data For Immigration Enforcement Could Lead To Epidemics

Buzzfeed (May 2, 2017 | LONDON) The UK’s official public health watchdog has warned MPs that a controversial policy enabling the use of NHS data to track addresses of people suspected of being in the UK illegally could have major consequences for tackling the spread of infectious diseases. Read more.

Doctors Fight Against Becoming ‘Border Guards’ For Home Office Immigration Enforcement

The Independent (April 20, 2017 | LONDON)  Doctors have launched a campaign against new government policy that they say requires them to act as “border guards” for the Home Office’s immigration enforcement. Read more.

Crackdown On Migrants Forces NHS Doctors To ‘Act As Border Guards’

The Guardian (April 20, 2017 | LONDON)  A medical charity has launched a campaign against government guidance that “makes border guards of doctors” by allowing the Home Office to access details of undocumented migrants who seek NHS treatment. Read more.

A Nonprofit Trolled Breitbart And InfoWars With A Stealth Pro-Refugee Ad Campaign

Buzzfeed (April 13, 2017 | NEW YORK)  The alarming ads, from the humanitarian medical group Doctors of the World, click through to a site that seeks to humanize Syrian refugees. Read more.

The Trauma Of Facing Deportation

The New Yorker (April 3, 2017 | NEW YORK)  In Sweden, hundreds of refugee children have fallen unconscious after being informed that their families will be expelled from the country. Read more.

Refugees Start To Gather In Calais Again, Months After Camp Was Closed

The Guardian (April 2, 2017 | CALAIS)  The number of refugees in and around Calais is beginning to build up again, five months after the “Jungle” camp was demolished. Aid groups report several hundred new arrivals in recent weeks, around half of them unaccompanied minors. Read more.

Heavily Pregnant Immigrant Women ‘Too Terrified To Seek NHS Treatment’ Over Deportation Fears

The Evening Standard (March 20, 2017 | LONDON)  Pregnant women without legal status are avoiding NHS antenatal care in fear of being reported to the Home Office or facing high medical bills, a charity has claimed. Read more.

Pregnant Women Without Legal Status ‘Too Afraid To Seek NHS Care’

The Guardian (March 20, 2017 | LONDON)  Hundreds of pregnant women without legal status are avoiding seeking NHS antenatal care because of growing fears that they will be reported to the Home Office or face high medical bills, according to charities that work with vulnerable migrant women. Read more.

Médecins du Monde Exhibition Fights For The Invisible And Punches Through The Viewer

Frame Publishers (March 11, 2017 | PARIS)  To commemorate 30 years of Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) fighting against the exclusion of vulnerable peoples from medical care, the Mise au Poing exhibition with scenography by Bonsoir Paris helps the humanitarian organization confront society by placing viewers in the middle of the issue. Read more.

Myanmar Has A Drug Problem

Asia Times (March 9, 2017 | CHIANG MAI)  There is little disagreement that Myanmar, despite a recent shift from military to semi-democratic rule, remains one of the world’s largest producers of illicit drugs, including opium, heroin, methamphetamine and other synthetic narcotics. Read more.

In Burkina Faso, The Shame Of Unwed Motherhood Never Leaves

PassBlue (March 6, 2017 | ATHENS)  A white van roams the streets of the capital here every Wednesday morning to help young women and girls who may be homeless or destitute to take them to a health clinic on the outskirts of the city. Read more.

The Refugee Archipelago: The Inside Story of What Went Wrong in Greece

Refugees Deeply (March 6, 2017 | ATHENS)  Widad Madrati remembers the first snowfall at Oreokastro like most children would, as a thing of wonder. It threw a brilliant white cover over the squalor of a refugee camp pitched in the grounds of a disused warehouse in the hills above Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki. The 17-year-old Syrian did not mind that the water pipe to the outdoor sinks had frozen. Read more.

How You Can Help Refugees And Asylum Seekers In Britain

The Guardian (March 3, 2017 | LONDON)  This week The Guardian launched a new project along with three European newspapers to investigate the ups and downs of refugees’ lives after they arrive in Europe. Scores of readers have been in touch asking how they can help, either through donations, volunteering or applying their skills. Read more.

Hepatitis C Charity Took Drug Industry Funding

BBC (March 1, 2017 | LONDON)  A charity that tried to force the NHS to buy more of an expensive hepatitis C treatment received large amounts of money from the drug’s manufacturer, the Victoria Derbyshire show has found. The Hepatitis C Trust has taken £200,000 in grant funding from US drugs giant Gilead since 2014. Read more.

Europe’s Child-Refugee Crisis

The New Yorker (February 27, 2017 | CALAIS)  Wasil awoke to the sound of a knife ripping through nylon. Although he was only twelve years old, he was living alone in a small tent at a refugee camp in Calais, France, known as the Jungle. Men entered his tent; he couldn’t tell how many. A pair of hands gripped his throat. Read more.

6 Weeks With the Pregnant Refugees of Piraeus, Greece

Jezebel (February 21, 2017 | ATHENS)  The conditions at the makeshift refugee camp at Piraeus Port in Athens were bad in any weather. Torn, battered camping tents arranged under highway flyovers, on a stretch of concrete and in a massive, abandoned stone warehouse. Three rows of port-a-potties available for more than 2,000 people. Read more.

Ministers Accused Of “Out-Trumping Trump” Over Use Of Health Data To Track Alleged Illegal Immigrants

Buzzfeed (February 10, 2017 | LONDON)  The NHS is now required to hand the Home Office the addresses of people it suspects of being in the country illegally, BuzzFeed News can reveal, under a new policy that has led to the government being accused of “out-Trumping Donald Trump”. Read more.

Patients From Abroad To Be Charged Upfront For NHS Treatment

Sky News (February 6, 2017 | LONDON)  Patients from abroad are to be charged upfront for any non-urgent treatment on the NHS. The new rules will apply from April this year and all hospitals will be told to check if patients are eligible for free NHS treatment before they receive any treatment. Read more.

NHS Charges For Overseas Patients Are A “Sledgehammer” To The Very Vulnerable, Doctors Say

Buzzfeed (February 6, 2017 | LONDON)  New proposals to charge overseas patients upfront for non-urgent NHS treatment could have grave consequences for the most vulnerable people, both British and non-British, doctors have told BuzzFeed News. Read more.

NHS Hospitals To Charge Overseas Patients For Non-Urgent Care

Guardian (February 5, 2017 | LONDON)  Hospitals will be required by law to check whether patients are eligible for free care on the NHS from April onwards, the health secretary has announced. The rule raises the prospect of patients having to produce their passports and other identity documents before receiving most kinds of treatment as the government aims to claw back £500m a year. Read more.

How To Help Refugees In Greece

TIME (February 3, 2017 | NEW YORK)  TIME is currently following three babies born to Syrian refugees in Europe over their first year of life, for our Finding Home project. Many people have written in to ask how they can help Rahaf, Heln and Faraj as their families struggle through the process of seeking asylum. Here are some humanitarian organizations, many of which are directly involved in making their lives better. Read more.

May Pressured NHS To Release Data To Track Immigration Offenders

The Guardian (February 1, 2017 | LONDON)  The former head of NHS Digital repeatedly clashed with Theresa May’s Home Office over requests to hand over confidential patient data to help trace immigration offenders, he has revealed. Kingsley Manning has said that the Home Office “put him under immense pressure” to share patient data despite concerns about the legal basis and fears it would undermine claims that NHS Digital was “a safe haven” for personal data. Read more.

Migrant Crisis: Alarm Over Recent Deaths At Lesbos Camp

BBC News (January 31, 2017 | LONDON)  Aid groups have raised alarm over the deaths of three migrants on Greece’s Lesbos island inside a week. They said that poor conditions at an overcrowded camp in Moria presented a “serious risk” to at least 3,000 migrants living there. A man in his 20s said to be a Pakistani was found dead in his tent on Monday. Read more.

The NHS Should Protect Patient Confidentiality

The Guardian (January 27, 2017 | LONDON)  The agreement of the NHS to hand over patient information to the Home Office immigration authorities (Report, 25 January) fills us with anger and dismay. Patient confidentiality is one of the cornerstones of an ethical and effective healthcare system. That is why, in the absence of a court order, the NHS does not share even the address of a patient with the police or any other public body, except in the most serious cases of harm to the person, involving murder, rape or manslaughter. Read more.

Greece: Refugees with Disabilities Overlooked, Underserved

Human Rights Watch (January 18, 2017 | BRUSSELS)  Refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants with disabilities are not properly identified and do not enjoy equal access to services in reception centers in Greece, Human Rights Watch said today. Together with thousands of other migrants and asylum seekers, they remain unprotected from freezing temperatures. Read more.

Patients At 20 NHS Hospitals Forced To Show Passports And ID In ‘Health Tourism’ Crackdown

The Independent (January 17, 2017 | LONDON) Hospitals are refusing free treatment to patients who cannot show a utility bill and passport under a new scheme designed to crack down on so-called “health tourism”. Read more.

They Didn’t Choose To Be Refugees. But We Have A Choice Of How We Respond To Their Plight.

A Plus (January 13, 2017 | LOS ANGELES)  A teacher, a psychologist, a school principal, a pharmacist. These are just some of the people featured in the Doctors of the World USA video “Not Like Us.” They sound like everyday people, right? Right. But because they’re Syrian, some may see them differently. The video aims to dispel the myth that Syrians are “all terrorists” by showing their human side — and reminding viewers they, too, deserve to live happy and productive lives. Read more.

Refugees freezing in snow-hit Greece ‘because of lack of EU solidarity

Euro News (January 10, 2017 | LONDON)  Refugees are being forced to live in freezing, snow-covered camps in Greece because EU states have failed to take in their share of asylum seekers, it’s been claimed. Arctic weather swept into the Greek islands over recent days, leaving thousands to brave the conditions with a just flimsy tent canvas over their heads. Read more.

This Video Shows What’s So Scary About Syrian Refugees

PopSugar (January 2, 2017 | NEW YORK)  A new video by Doctors of the World aims to show what’s so frightening about refugees from Syria. Spoiler alert: nothing. Read more.

Publicis NY Says Syrian Refugees Are Just Like Us

MediaPost (December 30, 2016 | NEW YORK)  Publicis New York is using its talents to raise awareness for Syrian refugees through a passion project with Doctors of the World (DOTW), an international human-rights organization that provides long-term medical assistance to refugees in Europe and the Middle East. Read more.

These Christmas Cards Are A Reminder That We Don’t Have Peace On Earth

Huffington Post (November 30, 2016 | LONDON)  A U.K. charity is flipping the script on the traditional nativity scene that graces the covers of many Christmas cards this time of year. Doctors of The World, a charity that works to give marginalized people around the world access to health care, has released a set of holiday cards for 2016 that showcase the modern realities of the region that was the birthplace of Christianity. Read more.

These Alternative Christmas Cards Will Stop You In Your Tracks

Mashable (November 29, 2016 | LONDON)  As Christmas draws nearer, Christmas cards are beginning to land on doormats up and down the country. One charity has created a series of alternative Christmas cards to remind people of the 2016 events that forced millions of people from their homes. Read more.

Charity Christmas Cards Combine Nativity Scenes With Images From War Zones

The Telegraph (November 29, 2016 | LONDON)  UK charity is selling a series of Christmas cards featuring images that combine traditional Biblical imagery with contemporary pictures from conflict zones across the Middle East. Doctors of the World UK is selling the cards, with names including ‘Not So Silent Night’ and ‘The Star of Bedlam’, to raise funds for its mission to provide medical aid to people who’ve been forced from their homes by war. Read more.

Alternative Charity Christmas Cards Show Nativity In War-Torn Middle East

BBC (November 28, 2016 | LONDON)  Charity Doctors of the World UK has launched alternative Christmas cards showing traditional Biblical nativity scenes interrupted with images of modern wars in the Middle East. One of the four designs shows the Three Wise Men pointing to the skies as a drone flies overhead. Read more.

Europe’s Migrant Mothers Struggle To Access Medical Care

Financial Times (November 16, 2016 | CALAIS & DUNKIRK)  Last November, Mamit stuffed four changes of clothes into a black leather handbag, grabbed her Bible and left her native Eritrea under cover of night, fearing persecution for her religious beliefs. Ten months later, in mid-September of this year, the 42-year-old mother of two sits on a roadside by the Jungle migrant camp in Calais, northern France. It is just a few weeks before the French authorities will begin to demolish the camp and resettle its inhabitants. Read more.

NGO Warns Of Worrying Healthcare Access For Migrants In Europe

Euronews (November 15, 2016 | BRUSSELS)  A report by a leading medical NGO has found that migrants are struggling to access proper healthcare across Europe. More than 30,000 people were surveyed in 12 countries. It found that 67.5 percent of them had no health coverage, while 21.5 percent had given up seeking medical care or treatment. Read more.

Refugees Take To Hiding In Northern France After Calais Camp Demolished

The Guardian (November 5, 2016 | CALAIS)  For the past two months, Sattar, 22, has been living in a ditch 30 miles (48km) inland from Calais, attempting to return to Reading, where he spent nine years of his life, studied for his GCSEs and earned distinctions in a college course in business, travel and tourism. Read more.

Refugee Crisis: Calais Jungle Children ‘Have Nowhere To Sleep’

The Week (October 27, 2016 | CALAIS)  Aid workers say around 100 children have been left with nowhere to sleep after French authorities closed down the Jungle refugee camp in Calais. According to the BBC, several hundred people remain inside the camp, despite officials claiming it is empty. Read more.

Chaos Of Calais Camp Shutdown Sparks Fears For Dozens Of Children Left To Fend For Themselves

IB Times (October 27, 2016 | CALAIS)  Charities have said that about 100 children remain at the Calais refugee camp, despite claims by French authorities that the so-called “Jungle” had been cleared. As some of the former camp was left in flames lit by migrants, dozens of children were left in a queue outside converted shipping containers set up nearby to house them, the charity Save the Children said. Read more.

Calais Jungle Closure: Demolition Begins As Registration Of Refugees Slows

Independent (October 25, 2016 | CALAIS)  The demolition of the Calais Jungle camp has begun as a team of workmen and riot police began dismantling empty tents and huts in a small section of the shantytown, amid fears that many of the residents who remain are unwilling to leave the camp. Read more.

Vulnerable Refugees Will Face Inhumane Living Conditions When Calais Camp Closes Say Doctors

IB Times (October 19, 2016 | LONDON)  Vulnerable migrants living in Calais’ infamous Jungle refugee camp will face even worse living conditions after the camp’s imminent demolition, as many will be forced into hiding across northern France, a health charity has warned. Read more.

Home Office Rules Out Forcing Dental Checks On Child Refugees To Prove Age”

RT (October 19, 2016 | LONDON)  The Home Office has ruled out forcing young refugees arriving in Britain from the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp to have their teeth checked to determine their age, branding the idea “inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical”. Its statement comes after Tory MP David Davies said the child refugees arriving in the UK this week “don’t look like children”. He said they should undertake mandatory dental checks to verify their ages. Read more.

UK Dentists: Teeth Checks On Calais Migrants ‘Unethical’

Politico (October 19, 2016 | LONDON)  British dentists and doctors are fighting back the idea that they should perform mandatory teeth checks on unaccompanied children arriving in the U.K. from the “Jungle” camp in Calais to verify their age, the BBC reported. The British Dental Association (BDA) has condemned calls for such checks by Tory lawmaker David Davies as “unethical.” Read more.

A Swedish Duo Started A Program That Collects Old Smartphones To Donate To Refugees

Business Insider (October 15, 2016 | CALAIS)  Got an old smartphone lying around? It could transform a refugee’s life. Refugee Phones is an initiative that encourages people and organisations to donate their old smartphones to refugees and migrants. Read more.

Calais’ Forgotten Children Ask Europe ‘Where Is Left For Us To Go?’

IB Times (October 12, 2016 | CALAIS)  “I have been waiting for help from the British government for 12 months and I am going crazy. I don’t even go to lorry jump now because I have just lost myself.” These are the distressing words of Mamad, 16, one of the 1,022 unaccompanied children living among adults in Calais’ refugee camp, the ‘Jungle’. Read more.

The Latest: Greece Opens Center For Unaccompanied Minors

AP (October 11, 2016 | THESSALONIKI)  Greek authorities have opened a new reception center for unaccompanied refugee children near Athens, following extensive criticism of existing facilities. Migration Minister Yiannis Mouzalas said Tuesday that the center at Paiania, just east of the Greek capital, would host up to 100 minors. It is funded by the International Organization for Migration, and run by the Doctors of the World charity. Read more.

Charity scores small win in Hep C drug battle

Yahoo (October 5, 2016 | BERLIN)  A medical charity scored a small victory Wednesday in its bid to break a US pharma giant’s hold on an eye-wateringly expensive Hepatitis C drug when a European body partially revoked the firm’s patent. Patient groups around the world have accused Gilead Sciences of charging exorbitant prices for its blockbuster sofosbuvir drug, which is highly effective but can cost up to $1,000 per pill. Read more.

Inside France’s ‘Jungle’: Desperate Migrants Keep Coming to Calais

The New York Times (September 26, 2016 | CALAIS)  The migrants from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea and elsewhere keep coming. Almost 100 a day arrive at this dusty, ramshackle camp perched at the edge of the English Channel, just 31 miles from Britain, their ultimate goal. Read more.

France to relocate refugees and migrants ‘within weeks’ in bid to close Calais Jungle camp

The Independent (September 24, 2016 | CALAIS)  Thousands of people living in Calais refugee and migrant camps could be relocated to reception centers across France in the coming weeks, President Francois Hollande has announced. The French leader reiterated his pledge to shut down the Calais Jungle during a visit to one of the country’s 164 reception centers on Saturday. Read more.

UK starts building ‘Great Wall of Calais’ to keep Jungle camp refugees out

RT (September 21, 2016 | CALAIS)  The construction of a 1-kilometer concrete barrier passing by the infamous “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais, northern France, began Tuesday. Dubbed the “Great Wall of Calais” by the media, it aims to stop asylum seekers from entering the UK. Read more.

Work begins on Calais wall to stop refugees trying to board lorries to UK

The Guardian (September 20, 2016 | CALAIS)  Work has begun on a £1.9m wall to block migrants and asylum seekers from attempting to board lorries heading to the Calais port.The structure will stand 4 meters tall and 1km long on both sides of the dual carriageway approaching the port, a few hundred meters from the main refugee camp, where more than 10,000 people live in conditions that charities describe as dangerous and dirty. Read more.

British/American Actress Julianne Moore supports Project Literacy display at TriBeCa

The Hype Magazine (September 13, 2016 | NEW YORK)  Celebrated British/American actress Julianne Moore took part in the recent display of Project Literacy’s stunning piece of interactive artwork in TriBeCa that showcases messages of support reproduced into pencils. The “Mighty Pencil” exhibit physically illustrates the power of reading and writing and how it can help change the world for the better. Read more.

How sports and activities in the Calais jungle are improving the lives and mental health of the camp’s residents

The Independent (September 12, 2016 | CALAIS)  It is about 30 degrees outside, and we find ourselves in one of the largest wooden shelters in the Calais Jungle. A hand-painted wooden sign is nailed to the far end of the shelter which reads ‘Calais Jungle Boxing Club’ Read more.

There is an antidote to the failed humanity of the Calais wall

The Guardian (September 7, 2016 | LONDON)  Build a wall … A great wall. But will it be high enough, big enough, thick enough? Will it be Trump-size, visible from space? Will it keep out the undesirables ? Will it protect the lorry drivers and nervous holidaymakers? Will it look nice if we put a few plants around it? Are the French going to raze the Jungle to the ground just as they did Sangatte? Read more.

An unhappy 10th birthday: Doctors of the World’s London clinic

The BMJ (September 6, 2016 | LONDON)  For a decade the humanitarian charity Doctors of the World has been running a clinic in east London to help vulnerable people who are otherwise unable to access healthcare. The patients include refugees and undocumented migrants, some of whom have been trafficked or tortured. Read more.

Calais Jungle closure will make things even worse, warn charities

The Independent (September 6, 2016 | CALAIS)  The planned closure of the Calais Jungle refugee camp has been dismissed by a leading medical aid agency as “political posturing” which could worsen the humanitarian crisis in northern France while playing into the hands of people traffickers. Read more.

Thousands of Greek women and newborns to receive free healthcare

Safe Motherhood Week (August 12, 2016 | ATHENS)  Doctors of the World (Greek Branch) launched the “Mother & Child” healthcare programme earlier this summer, which will be implemented via the framework of the global initiative MSD for Mothers. A two-year programme that commenced in June 2016 of this year and will run until March 2018, it is focused on the protection and care of pregnant women and infants in Greece, before, during and after childbirth. Read more.

Young, alone, abused

IRIN (August 1, 2016 | ATHENS)  Sixteen-year-old Hamza, an Afghan refugee, can’t shake the memory of another teenager’s bloody, dying body on the ground meters from his tent. The victim, also an Afghan refugee aged 16, suffered severe stab wounds and head injuries in a massive brawl. Read more.

Doctors find refugee children in shock after alleged abuse ​by Greek police

Huffington Post (July 6, 2016 | LESBOS)  A refugee camp in Greece came under fire last week after the organization Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) reported that police officers there rounded up a dozen children from the camp and subjected them to harsh treatment. Read more.

Why the refugee crisis is just the beginning

Take Part (June 24, 2016 | LESBOS)  Two years after her town fell to the Islamic State, Zozan Qerani visited psychiatrists in Turkey and Greece for help with what she’d seen. Feelings she called depression had started to intensify, causing fainting spells as she moved along the trail to Europe, she said. Last week, at the camp on Lesbos, Greece, where she’s been living since March, a war now 1,000 miles away would once again threaten her life. Read more.

Anger on Greek island as refugee registration stalls

Al Jazeera (June 18, 2016 | CHIOS)  Families are made to handwash their clothes in a trough-like fountain behind the long row of tents in the crowded Souda refugee camp, nestled between the coast and historic ruins on this Greek island. Dozens wait in a lengthy queue to obtain special food portions for their sick offspring, while children play along the dirt passage bisecting the camp. Although it is an unrecognised camp, Souda is home to at least 1,000 refugees and migrants. Read more.

Airstrikes kill dozens near a hospital in Syria as violence escalates

The Washington Post (May 31, 2016 | BEIRUT)  Intense airstrikes overnight Tuesday in rebel-held areas of northern Syria killed or wounded scores of people, most of them civilians, as an already fraying peace process wobbled on the verge of collapse. Aid agencies and human rights monitors said as many as 50 people died when warplanes repeatedly struck buildings around the National Hospital in the capital of Idlib province. They said Russian warplanes were responsible, although that could not be independently confirmed. Read more.

EU Urged to give safe passage as more refugees die in Mediterranean

Newsweek (May 26, 2016 | LONDON)  Aid workers have urged the European Union to provide safe passage for refugees before an expected summer spike in migration, following a shipwreck in the Mediterranean. A boat capsized off the Libyan coast Thursday in an accident that is feared to have left over 30 refugees and migrants dead, while 77 were rescued by EU naval units, the BBC reported. Read more.

Revolutionary hepatitis C drugs leave public health systems reeling

Global Post (May 25, 2016 | PARIS)  They’ve brought hope to millions, drugs so revolutionary that they can cure hepatitis C and so expensive that neither patients nor public health services can afford them — an issue to be raised at this week’s G7. The pills made by US group Gilead Sciences are just one example of efficient yet costly treatments that have put the delicate question of how much a life is worth on the table of cash-strapped governments which hesitate to fund them. Read more.

Launching a crowdfunding campaign? Ask yourself these five questions first

The Guardian (May 24, 2016 | LONDON)  Crowdfunding has become a buzzword in the charity and non-profit sector, as more and more organisations think about diversifying their income streams and hitting their fundraising targets in this way. But crowdfunding is more than just filling out a profile on a fundraising platform – it requires a great deal of thought and a robust digital communication strategy. After seeing several organisations try – and fail – at crowdfunding, we at Social Misfits Media spoke to experts in the field to see what successful campaigns have in common. Read more.

Migrant crisis: Sex for just £4 at makeshift brothels at refugee camps on Greek border?

International Business Times (May 19, 2016 | LONDON)  Following media reports that some criminal gangs run by Iraqi and Moroccan migrants at a refugee camp on the Greek border are running a prostitution ring, Greek police have launched an investigation into the claims. The gangs are said to be operating in an abandoned train wagon and adjacent warehouse close to the Idomeni refugee camp on the Greek border and are forcing vulnerable women into the flesh trade. They are reported to be charging around €5 (£4, $5.6) from each asylum seeker visiting the makeshift brothels. Read more.

Greece: Refugee “Hotspots” Unsafe, Unsanitary

Human Rights Watch (May 19, 2016 | ATHENS)  Police are failing to protect people during frequent incidents of violence in closed centers on the Greek islands known as “hotspots,” Human Rights Watch said today. The centers were established for the reception, identification, and processing of asylum seekers and migrants. None of the three centers Human Rights Watch visited on Samos, Lesbos, and Chios in mid-May 2016, separate single women from unrelated adult men, and all three are unsanitary and severely overcrowded. Read more.

The Best Bet For Stopping Outbreaks Isn’t Just A Vaccine

GOOD (May 17, 2016 | LOS ANGELES)  In a series of events and missteps that are starkly reminiscent of the beginnings of the ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, Angola is now grappling with a worrying outbreak of yellow yever, the worst in three decades, which is spreading like wildfire throughout the region and has already claimed nearly 300 lives since December of last year, with another 2,900 people reportedly infected. Read more.

Is the System Broke or Broken?

Inter Press Service (May 4, 2016 | UNITED NATIONS) Though the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit may seem timely, a debate ensues on an important question: is the world humanitarian system broke or broken? The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, which takes place in Istanbul on May 23-24, was convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to address the pressing needs of today’s humanitarian problems. Read more.

Nearly 40% of patients turned away from registering with GP

National Health Executive (May 3, 2016 | LONDON) Nearly 40% of patients are being turned away from registering with a GP, with vulnerable groups such as immigrants and asylum seekers the most likely to be affected, according to a new report. Read more.

Vulnerable people regularly refused access to GPs, says charity

The Guardian (April 30, 2016 | LONDON) Some of the most vulnerable people in the UK are regularly refused access to a doctor, according to a report. Pregnant women, children and homeless people are among those who have been wrongly turned away from practices. Medical care is also refused to sex workers, domestic workers and people who have suffered torture, trafficking, domestic and sexual violence, research has found. Read more.

GPs Are Turning Away Vulnerable People Despite Their Right To Register

Buzzfeed (April 30, 2016 | LONDON) In a report by Doctors of the World (DOTW), shared with BuzzFeed News and Sky News, the charity found that vulnerable people attempting to sign up with their local GP face multiple barriers, despite being legally entitled to register. In some cases, this has resulted in patients being turned away and potentially becoming even more ill, DOTW found. Read more.

Health concerns as GP surgeries refuse to register asylum seekers and refugees

The Independent (April 30, 2016 | LONDON) GP surgeries are turning away asylum seekers when they attempt to register as patients to practices, despite migrants being eligible for treatment under NHS guidelines, according to the charity Doctors of the World. The group, which finds and allocates healthcare services for asylum seekers and migrants, found that two-fifths of the patients they attempted to register were refused by GP surgeries in England. Read more.

Health Fears As GP Surgeries Refuse Refugees

Sky News (April 30, 2016 | LONDON) Some GP surgeries are refusing to register asylum seekers and refugees – even though they are eligible for treatment under NHS guidelines, according to a charity. Two-fifths of patients that Doctors of the World attempted to register were refused at GP surgeries in England. Read more.

The long fight for the recognition of sex work

Equal Times (April 27, 2016 | PARIS) Sex workers had been expecting it for a long time, but for those opposed to it, the announcement had no less of a sting: on 6 April, the French National Assembly, not without difficulty, adopted the Scandinavian model of penalising the customers of prostitution, after two and a half years of heated debate. Read more.

13 Stunning Photos That Capture The Spirit Of The Women Of Haiti

Huffington Post (April 26, 2016 | PORT AU PRINCE) From April 13 to 20, Carron and fellow photographer Mikaël Theimer traveled around Haiti as part of their Portraits of Montreal project (a nod to Humans of New York). Carron, who is from France but has lived in Montreal for nearly 10 years, told The Huffington Post they decided to head to Haiti since many people in Montreal have roots there. While in cities like Port-au-Prince, they documented the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Handicap International Canada, Médecins du Monde, KANPE and Anseye Pou Ayiti. Read more.

Now that France has opened a better camp, these migrants face more existential issues

PRI (April 22, 2016 | GRANDE SYNTHE) Last January, the mayor of a northern French town took a bold step and announced he was going to open a new camp for the 2,500 migrants who had taken refuge in a wooded area in town. At its most crowded, the improvised camp in Grande-Synthe had 2,500 people, most of them Kurds, living in filthy conditions — mud, trash — and sleeping in small tents. Read more.

Refugee crisis: Unconfirmed reports claiming 400 migrants drowned in the Med prompt mixed response

IB Times (April 18, 2016 | LONDON) Unconfirmed reports that 400 migrants have drowned crossing the Mediterranean from Egypt have prompted contradictory responses from authorities in Africa and Europe. Meanwhile, dozens more were feared dead in a separate incident en route from Libya. The BBC Arabic service claimed four boats, each carrying 100 people, sank on their way to Italy, killing all those on board. The report was based on interviews with Kenya-based relatives of three Somali nationals who were said to be on one of the vessels. It also quoted the Somali ambassador to Cairo as saying they were working to verify the information. Read more.

How technology could help millions of female refugees

WIRED (April 13, 2016 | LONDON) About 41 per cent of the world’s refugees are children, and about half of all refugees are women. Isolated from essential advice and information, they are often unable to get the help they need. But technology could help. A group of coders, designers, NGOs and academics are working to develop technology that can inform and educate female refugees of all ages. Read more.

Fates Diverging, Afghan and Syrian Migrants Clash in Greece

The New York Times (April 8, 2016 | CHIOS) Hani Alkhalaf had just fallen asleep at an overcrowded detention camp for migrants on this Greek island when angry shouts jolted him awake. As he rose from the dingy floor, a barrage of stones rained down on the flimsy plastic container where he and 14 other asylum seekers, mostly Syrians like him, were sheltered. Panicked, the women and children ran into a corner and tried to shield themselves as a mob of Afghan migrants beat on the barricaded door, he recalled later. Tensions had been simmering for days between Afghans and Syrians in the camp, but by midnight last Friday, they had exploded into a riot. Read more.

Prostitutes divided as France bans paying for sex

France 24 (April 7, 2016 | PARIS) The French union of sex workers (Strass, its acronym in France) called on members and supporters to protest the “repressive” bill outside the National Assembly, where lawmakers adopted the reform into law. The legislation outlaws paying for sex, imposes fines for clients and overturns the existing ban on solicitation. In an unprecedented move, the bill also makes available €4.8 million per year to help sex workers quit the trade. The comprehensive approach, which envisions an eventual eradication of prostitution, has earned support among other French organisations that assist and defend sex workers. Read more.

Germany to take Syrians under EU-Turkey pact as clashes flare

Business Insider (April 1, 2016 | BERLIN) Germany said Friday it will take in the first Syrian refugees under an EU-Turkey pact drawing fire from rights groups, as violence broke out in a Greek camp on the front line of the crisis. German interior ministry spokesman Tobias Plate said that most of the arrivals expected Monday would be families with children, putting the number in the “double-digit range”. Under the scheme agreed with the EU last month, one Syrian refugee will be settled in Europe legally in return for every migrant taken back by Turkey from EU member Greece. Read more.

New clashes in Greek island hotspot ahead of planned migrant returns

Yahoo (April 1, 2016 | ATHENS) Three migrants were hospitalised Friday after a brawl in a camp on the Greek island of Chios, aid groups and media said, as the country prepared to begin returning migrants to Turkey under an EU deal. The agency said police used stun grenades to restore calm during the late-night fight — the second such incident within two days in Greece — which caused serious damage to the island’s Vial camp, including the medical dispensary, state ANA news agency said. Read more.

Doctors of the World Leave Chios Hotspot After Refugee Fight

The Greek Reporter (April 1, 2016 | CHIOS) Two refugees were stabbed and three more suffered serious injuries after a violent fight broke out on Thursday night at the Chios refugee registration center, forcing the Doctors of the World to leave the island. This was the third serious violent brawl between migrants that broke out within 48 hours, after the incidents at Idomeni and Piraeus Port that left several people injured. Read more.

Sudan: Darfur’s East Jebel Marra – Surviving Under Siege

All Africa (March 28, 2016 | EAST JEBEL MARRA) The continuous attacks and air raids on East Jebel Marra in South Darfur have put most of the population to flight. Some have reached camps for the displaced in the region, while others shelter in the caves and valleys of the Jebel Marra massif. An almost complete lack of heath care makes their plight even worse. “There is not a single health centre throughout East Jebel Marra; there are no drugs and no health workers,” a doctor laments. He’s sitting under a rakuba sun shade. There is a small table and a rickety chair. He’s examining a small child while the mother looks on. Read more.

Greece starts emptying border camp as new arrivals slow

Daily Herald (March 27, 2016 | IDOMENI) Greece said on Saturday (Mar 26) it has begun emptying the main migrant camp on its border with Macedonia, as the huge tide of refugees flooding into the country slows to a trickle following the EU-Turkey deal. Eight buses transported around 400 refugees from the Idomeni camp Friday, while another three buses left on Saturday, taking them to other camps set up in northern Greece, local police said. Read more.

Correction: Europe-Migrants story

Daily Herald (March 23, 2016 | ATHENS) In a story March 22 about migrants in Greece, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Doctors of the World, or Medecins du Monde, was withdrawing from the Idomeni migrant camp, and quoted Antonis Rigas as a spokesman. Doctors of the World is not withdrawing. Rigas is a field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, which scaled back its operations in Idomeni. Read more.

Greek Minister Compares Refugee Camp To Nazi Concentration Camp

Buzzfeed (March 19, 2016 | LONDON) A Greek minister has compared a refugee camp in Macedonia to the notorious Nazi concentration camp Dachau – hours before EU leaders struck a deal with Turkey to return thousands of refugees in Europe. Panagiotis Kouroublis, Greece’s interior minister, told a Greek television station Idomeni camp was a “modern Dachau”. His remarks came just before as EU leaders struck a deal with Turkish representatives to move thousands of migrants from Greece and transport them back to Turkey. Read more.

‘A space to cry’ for Colombia’s rape survivors as war trauma takes decades to heal

Business Insider (March 18, 2016 | BOGOTA) Her voice cracking and hands trembling, Adriana holds up a silhouette she has drawn of her body in front of 33 other rape survivors sitting in a circle at a therapy session in Bogota.”I feel desolation and sadness in my soul. We need to repair our hearts,” she said, pointing to her heart on the drawing. The others nod in agreement. “Every day I remember what happened. I spent five days in hospital after I attempted suicide. I still carry the pain,” said Adriana, as she recalled being raped by a rebel fighter in her home 15 years ago. Read more.

Inside Idomeni refugee camp, nothing left but hope

Al Jazeera (March 17, 2016 | IDOMENI) If refugees encamped at Idomeni are hoping for the current European summit to resolve their plight, they are likely to be disappointed. The summit is focused on stopping new arrivals in Turkey, rather than in the relocation of those already in Europe. Yet it is on this summit that many here are pinning their last hopes. “If they don’t open the border after the [summit] meeting I will return to Syria. I will pay smugglers to take me back,” says Mohammed Hasan, a 26-year-old business graduate from Aleppo. Read more.

Refugee Charities Sign Open Letter To EU Condemning Plan To Return People To Turkey

Buzzfeed (March 16, 2016 | LONDON) A group of major international charities have warned European Union leaders that a plan to return refugees in Greece to Turkey would worsen the humanitarian crisis and called instead for “humane” solutions. EU leaders and Turkey met a week ago to discuss a possible solution to the crisis, including sending all migrants and refugees in Greece back to Turkey. They will reconvene Thursday and Friday to agree to a final proposal. Read more.

Refugee Conditions In Greece Are About To Get Much, Much Worse

Huffington Post (March 10, 2016 | PIRAEUS) Piraeus, the port near Athens well known to tourists for its ferries to Greece’s picturesque islands in the Aegean Sea, has in the past month turned into one of the country’s largest makeshift shelters for different kinds of travelers: migrants and refugees. In the past weeks, they have taken over four passenger waiting areas at the port as temporary accommodation. In just a few days, 5,000 people were taking shelter there. Read more.

The Latest: More work needed on EU migrant deal with Turkey

CBS 8 (March 8, 2016 | BRUSSELS) Luxembourg’s prime minister says that European Union and Turkish leaders have ended talks aimed at tackling the refugee emergency but that more work is needed to finalize an agreement. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said in a tweet early Tuesday that EU Council President Donald Tusk “will take forward the proposals and work out the details with the Turkish side” before the next EU summit on March 17. Read more.

As ‘Jungle’ camp is razed, refugees fan out along French coast

Gulf News (March 8, 2016 | DIEPPE) “It’s my last hope,” sighs an Albanian refugee, watching a ferry leave for England from behind a high fence reinforced by barbed wire in Dieppe, one of many ferry ports on France’s northern coast. Since January, but especially after authorities began dismantling the sprawling “Jungle” camp in Calais over a week ago, more and more refugees have been trying their luck at Normandy ports. Read more.

Migrants on the NHS: ‘You’re targeted because you have an accent’

The Guardian (March 6, 2016 | LONDON) When Mary’s 17-year-old son, the oldest of her five children, began complaining of pain and taking medication early last year, she put it down to stress. Though her family had a GP, it was some months before she took the teenager to the surgery to find out exactly what was wrong. Mary – not her real name – is an African woman in her 40s who has lived in London since 2007. She and her children are “undocumented” so have no official status. Read more.

UN: Europe Facing ‘Self-Induced Humanitarian Crisis’

Voice of America (March 1, 2016 | GREECE) The United Nations warned Tuesday that Europe is near a “self-induced humanitarian crisis” because governments are imposing border restrictions and failing to work together as migrants continue to reach the continent. Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency, said more than 130,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean this year, most of them reaching Greece. The two-month total is near the figure for the first six months of last year. Read more.

Homes In Calais’ Refugee Camp Reveal Stories, Hopes and Dreams

Huffington Post (February 29, 2016 | CALAIS) Photos taken inside the living spaces of migrants and refugees in the Calais “Jungle” show inhabitants’ efforts to make themselves a home away from home. The Jungle is a makeshift camp in northern France, near the tunnel connecting the country with the United Kingdom. The site has existed as a temporary accommodation for migrants and refugees since the early 2000s, but its population has swelled in the last several months as more and more people from around the world have arrived, hoping to settle in Europe. Many of the Jungle’s approximately 4,000 inhabitants eventually want to reach the U.K. to work or join family. Read more.

Refugees try to breach Greece-Macedonia border fence

News 24 (February 29, 2016 | IDOMENI) Hundreds of refugees on Monday tried to break through a border fence into Macedonia from Greece, where more than 7 000 people are stranded, as anger mounted over travel restrictions on migrants. In a sign of widening divisions within the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel meanwhile lashed out at Austria and Balkan states for abandoning debt-laden Athens to refugee chaos. Read more.

Calais ‘Jungle’ demolition: Migrants ‘bewildered and scared’ as authorities move in to dismantle camp

Belfast Telegraph (February 29, 2016 | CALAIS) Demolition teams have moved in to start dismantling makeshift homes at the Calais migrant camp known as the Jungle. Lines of police vans gathered on the perimeter of the slum’s southern section as migrants and refugees were told their only option now was to move. It has been reported that tear gas was used against stone-throwers while work on bringing the camp down was underway. A spokeswoman for the Help Refugees charity said police had blocked entrances to the sprawling camp, which is home to around 4,000 people. Read more.

Double crisis deepens despair in Greece’s ‘warehouse of souls’

The Guardian (February 27, 2016 | ATHENS & DELPHI) In Victoria Square, Athens, home to an ever-growing number of migrants, a dubious night-time economy has emerged. On Saturday, as a large, middle-aged man walked his small dog, an Afghan boy pointed him out to his new friend, Abdul Waris. “He is one of them who comes here at night,” said the boy. Abdul’s eyes widened. “It’s OK. They don’t want underage – they take the young men who will go willingly to their homes and give them a shower and €10 or €15 for sex. Some go, the ones who have no money left.” Read more.

As Calais ‘Jungle’ is dismantled, concerns mount for refugee children

DW (February 26, 2016 | CALAIS) More than 300 lone children are stranded in Calais as the “Jungle” is demolished around them. Yet a French court ruling may offer some of them a lifeline after all. Some 326 lone children – minors from Afghanistan, Syria, Egypt and Eritrea – are living in the “Jungle” of Calais, according to the refugee body France Terre d’Asile. Of that total, 57 are younger than 15, while the youngest child travelling alone is just 7 years old, according to Medecins du Monde. Read more.

France issues eviction order for Calais refugees

Al Jazeera (February 21, 2016 | CALAIS) 
France has given refugees living in part of a Calais refugee camp until Tuesday evening to leave or face forcible removal. Residents of the southern part of the camp, known as “The Jungle”, were told to take their possessions and leave the area on Saturday evening, so that authorities can demolish the tented settlement that has formed in the area. Read more.

Refugee crisis: Plans to clear part of Calais Jungle prompt outcry from charities

Yahoo (February 21, 2016 | ATHENS) In its new mission in the Aegean to help Europe tackle its worst migration crisis in 60 years, NATO is wading into one of the world’s most contested seas.The Aegean has claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants in the past year, including scores of children. It has also been a habitual source of tension between NATO members Greece and Turkey for decades. Read more.

Refugee crisis: Plans to clear part of Calais Jungle prompt outcry from charities

The Independent (February 20, 2016 | CALAIS) Hundreds of migrants could be forcibly removed from a camp in the French port of Calais known as the Jungle, unless they voluntarily leave by Tuesday night, prompting an outcry from charities and activists. The local authority has issued a decree ordering the southern part of the camp to be cleared by 8pm. “After this deadline, if they have not left the area, the evacuation of the occupants of this area will take place, if necessary by force,” it said. Read more.

French authorities order expulsion of hundreds of Calais migrants from ‘Jungle’

France 24 (February 20, 2016 | CALAIS) Authorities issued an expulsion order Friday for hundreds of migrants living in a huge swath of the Calais camp in northern France, demanding that they remove their makeshift homes and possessions within four days. Residents of the southern sector of the camp, known locally as “The Jungle,” must clear out by 8 p.m. Tuesday so it can be razed, according to the order by the state authority for Calais. Police will remove those who refuse to clear out, the order said. Read more.

Calais ‘Jungle’ migrants receive eviction order

ITV News (February 20, 2016 | CALAIS) Hundreds of refugees and migrants living in a makeshift camp in Calais have received expulsion orders from French authorities. The inhabitants of the camp, known locally as “the Jungle”, have been ordered to remove their possessions by 8pm on Tuesday so it can be demolished. Read more.

Migrants told to quit Calais camp by Tuesday

The Telegraph (February 20, 2016 | CALAIS) Hundreds of migrants have been ordered to leave a huge section of the sprawling “Jungle” camp in Calais by Tuesday or face eviction. Residents of the southern part of the camp are to clear out by 8pm. Anyone remaining will be forcibly removed to allow the authorities to bulldoze makeshift huts and other structures, including shops, a school, churches and mosques. The authorities said the eviction order concerned up to 1,000 people but volunteer aid workers said at least twice that number were living in the part of the area to be cleared. Read more.

Calais orders up to 1,000 residents of Jungle camp to leave by Tuesday

The Guardian (February 20, 2016 | CALAIS) Up to a thousand migrants and refugees living in part of a camp on the outskirts of of Calais known as the Jungle have been told they must leave in the next three days or face eviction. Under an expulsion order issued by the state authority in the French port, 800-1,000 people have been told to remove their makeshift homes and possessions by 8pm local time on Tuesday or be forcibly removed by police. Local aid workers say this figure could be considerably higher. Read more.

Calais Jungle refugees targeted by armed far-right militia in brutal campaign of violence

The Independent (February 12, 2016 | CALAIS) Members of an armed far-right militia are attacking Calais migrants in an unprecedented, brutal campaign of violence, according to evidence seen by this newspaper. In a series of incidents in recent weeks, refugees living at the Jungle camp claim to have been targeted by organised thugs – sometimes in uniforms. Read more.

Unwelcome refugees

Take Part (February 4, 2016 | CALAIS) What is probably the best tandoori chicken in France is sold in a refugee encampment in Calais, at a restaurant made of scrap wood and plastic tarps called the Three Idiots. A man from Peshawar, Pakistan, named Osam opened the restaurant last fall with two friends. “My intention was to go to England. But when I had some problems with my documentation I came here,” he said, standing beside the rug that passes for the restaurant’s front door. Read more.

Migrant women face £6,000 birth bill under ‘health tourism’ laws

The Guardian (February 4, 2016 | LONDON) Pregnant women living in the UK without documents are having to make difficult decisions about accessing maternity services, potentially risking their own lives and those of their unborn children, because of crippling fees imposed by the NHS, say charities. Campaigners say vulnerable women already struggling to support themselves are being charged up to £6,000 for a normal birth, with emergency procedures such as caesareans adding around £3,000, because of the 150% tariff introduced to prevent “health tourism” from outside the EU. Read more.

Hundreds of Roma Face Eviction from the Biggest Shantytown in Paris

Vice News (February 2, 2016 | PARIS) You wouldn’t know there was a shanty town on Boulevard Ney, were it not for the plumes of thick smoke rising up from the disused rail tracks down below. Invisible from the road, the slum is built along a stretch of the “Petite Ceinture” rail track (French for “Little Belt”) — a historic circular railway built in the mid-1800s to connect train stations in Paris. The track, which has remained more or less abandoned since 1934, is today the site of the largest shantytown in the French capital. Read more.

Zika Virus a Global Health Emergency, W.H.O. Says

New York Times (February 1, 2016 | NEW YORK) The World Health Organization declared the Zika virus and its suspected link to birth defects an international public health emergency on Monday, a rare move that signals the seriousness of the outbreak and gives countries new tools to fight it. An outbreak of the Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, was detected in Brazil in May and has since moved into more than 20 countries in Latin America, including two new ones announced Monday: Costa Rica and Jamaica. Read more.

Changing the lives of child refugees on the island of Lesbos

UNHCR (January 11, 2016 | LESBOS) Whenever Huda Al-Shabsogh, a UNHCR field officer on the Greek island of Lesvos, entered the closed facility for unaccompanied minors at the Moria reception and registration centre for refugees, scores of children erupted in excitement. “Auntie! Auntie!” they shouted happily in Arabic. “How are you today?” Although Huda cared for dozens of new children each month, she knew all of them by name. Most were young boys aged 14-17, though she saw girls, too. The majority stayed on the island for a few days to a few weeks, until UNHCR – along with partner NGOs and the Greek authorities – could help them find individual solutions. “All of them needed advice, but sometimes they just wanted to chat,” said Huda. “They are very, very scared when they reach here.” Read more.

The Pill That Cures Hepatitis Costs $4, But if You Live in the US It’s $1000

US Uncut (January 10, 2016 | USA) If you live in India and suffer from Hepatitis C, a new breakthrough treatment to cure the disease is available for $4 a pill. But if you live in America, the treatment is $1,000 a pill, or $84,000 to $94,000 for the entire 12-week treatment. Read more.

The committed medical students sacrificing their time for refugees

The Guardian (December 23, 2015 | CALAIS)  Students in the UK have been instrumental in organising aid collections and showing support for refugees since this summer, spurred on by heightened media coverage of the crisis that has gripped Europe. Since then, the number of people taking refuge in the Calais jungle has risen to more than 6,000, most fleeing conflict, violence and poverty in countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Kosovo. Read more.

‘Afghan refugees aren’t fleeing by choice’

Al Jazeera (December 17, 2015 | ATHENS) At the activist-run Notara refugee solidarity centre in the Exarcheia neighbourhood of the Greek capital, Javid sat with his wife and three children and retraced their departure from Afghanistan. Although Afghanistan has been at war since the United States invaded in 2001, the farmer only now decided to make the journey to Germany. The final straw came when local police officers in Kabul began threatening him following an intra-familial dispute in his neighbourhood. Read more.

The Jungle: During Paris summit, climate and war refugees continued to perish

The Intercept (December 15, 2015 | PARIS) As negotiators labored to strike an international climate agreement in Paris, climate and war refugees in the north of France, shunned by the French government and European authorities, continued to perish. On a recent December night, a teenager from Darfur was struck and killed by a van just after sunset as he attempted to enter the Channel Tunnel to cross into the United Kingdom. He was at least the 18th person killed attempting to cross into Britain from the port town of Calais, where the population of a neglected and unauthorized refugee camp has grown from under 1,500 in April to as high as 6,000. Read more.

Ebola is now killing people who aren’t even infected

Foreign Policy (December 7, 2015 | SIERRA LEONE) Beginning last year, two dramatic events began to occupy Kamara’s thoughts, even as her daily routines stayed the same. The first was all around her, in Sierra Leone’s rural Kono district: Ebola grew from a distant rumor to a deadly plague, killing hundreds of locals. Residents panicked, some health workers fled, and gun-wielding military men arrived to enforce a series of lockdowns and quarantines. But as the crisis unfolded, something else momentous was happening: Kamara learned that her fourth child was on the way. Read more.

Life in a refugee camp: ‘the cold and fear get in your bones’

The Guardian (November 28, 2015 | DUNKIRK) “I was not born to live here like this,” says Ali. “I have three languages but I really want to learn Japanese. I love Japanese movies.” Ali is from Iran. He says he is not alone, but he seems very alone. We are in a refugee camp at Grande–Synthe, a Dunkirk suburb, sitting under a tarpaulin while people wait to see a doctor. Read more.

Fear in the jungle: The fragile life inside France’s largest refugee camp after the Paris attacks

TIME (November 24, 2015 | CALAIS) Since July, the medical charity Médecins du Monde has offered more than 3,000 consultations in their makeshift wooden clinics. Jean-François Corty, its director of operations in France, says his staff have seen several hundred injuries—particularly broken bones and burns—relating to the dangerous risks migrants in Calais are taking in order to try and reach England. As despair mounts, many of them tell TIME that they are turning to smugglers who, in return for about $3,000, promise to find them trucks to climb into in order to reach England. Read more.

Migrants build society in French camp they call “the jungle”

The Washington Post (November 24, 2015 | CALAIS) Outside, acrid smoke from wood fires stings the eye, the stench of uncollected garbage and neglected toilets assaults the nose, and an autumn wind chills the bone. But inside Mimi Amanuel’s immaculate wood-framed shack, the nightmare life of Calais’ migrant camp cannot overpower a woman’s dreams. Read more.

We do what we can: French, UK medical volunteers offer improvised care to Calais migrants

US News (November 12, 2015 | CALAIS) Adnan Kurdu has been living in a world of hurt. For months, he has chewed food to the left of his mouth to try to minimize the pain that starts from a right upper molar and seems, sometimes, to shoot down to his feet. Read more.

Presenting: our 2015 Mashies winners

Mashable (November 11, 2015 | NEW YORK) The best and brightest in digital marketing gathered in New York City on Thursday night to celebrate the year’s greatest achievements in advertising, social, marketing and PR at the 2015 Mashies. Read more.

Greek island struggles to provide medical care to refugees

Al Jazeera (November 05, 2015 | LESBOS) Tragedy has struck the island of Lesbos, in the eastern Aegean Sea, repeatedly in the past year, and October was the worst month yet. Lesbos received 125,000 refugees, double the number in August. It saw dozens of shipwrecks, with at least 35 people killed on Oct. 28 alone. Read more.

Inside the Jungle – the sprawling refugee encampment at the heart of Europe

Quartz (November 05, 2015 | GREECE) Fearing for the life of her unborn child, Faatma had begged her husband, Mohamed, to flee the civil war unraveling their country. After traveling overland for a month they crammed themselves on to a boat with 40 other people and set sail. Read more.

Special Report: The latest signs of Greece’s decay – children’s teeth

REUTERS (November 05, 2015 | GREECE) It was the first time in weeks Anthoula Papazoi had cooked meat. She had stewed the cut of beef, donated by a friend, on a low flame all morning. But now the casserole sat untouched, as Papazoi fretted about her 13-year-old daughter Nikoleta’s tooth. Read more.

Refugee children of Calais: “I’m very homesick, I wish I could go back now”

The Guardian (November 04, 2015 | CALAIS) Aid groups have reported a surge in the numbers of unaccompanied refugee children living in tents in Calais with no support from the French state. Read more.

Is Eastern Europe really more racist than the West?

The New York Times (November 03, 2015 | LONDON) Soldiers putting up miles of razor wire fencing to keep out refugees. A mother and child stuck in a field of mud. A truck parked on the highway between Budapest and Vienna containing the decomposing bodies of 71 refugees. Read more.

Winter is coming: the new crisis for refugees in Europe

The Guardian (November 02, 2015 | EUROPE) Record numbers of migrants and refugees crossed the Mediterranean to Europe in October – just in time for the advent of winter, which is already threatening to expose thousands to harsh conditions. Read more.

French court orders water, latrines and garbage pick up at Calais camp

The Guardian (November 02, 2015 | LILLE) A French court has ordered the country’s authorities to improve conditions at the giant “new jungle” migrant camp in Calais after NGOs called for immediate action over “serious human rights violations”. Read more.

Fears for migrants in France as winter comes to Calais

Yahoo (October 19, 2015 | CALAIS) Winter is coming to France’s port town of Calais, raising fears among aid groups about worsening conditions for the thousands of migrants living in a makeshift camp. Read more.

Migrants’ rights in short supply in squalid French camp

The Washington Post (October 14, 2015 | PARIS) Basic rights, and sympathy, are in short supply for thousands of migrants around the northern French city of Calais, even though the travelers — many fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere — live in what may be the European Union’s biggest and most squalid ghetto. Read more.

Hospital bombing is a wake-up call for Afghanistan

KCRW (October 7, 2015 | LOS ANGELES) On this, the fourteenth anniversary of America’s invasion of Afghanistan, a resurgent Taliban is challenging President Obama’s plan to withdraw US forces by the end of next year. Many Afghans have lost all hope, and this weekend’s attack on a hospital has compromised US credibility. Read more.

Calais refugee camp conditions diabolical

The Guardian (October 02, 2015 | CALAIS) Conditions in the Calais camp known as the Jungle are diabolical, with cramped makeshift tents plagued by rats, water sources contaminated by faeces and inhabitants suffering from tuberculosis, scabies and post-traumatic stress, according to a new report. Read more.

Calais crisis: Migrants are living in appalling conditions, say doctors

The Independent (September 26, 2015 | CALAIS) In the sprawling shanty town among the sand dunes and motorways outside Calais, known locally as “the Jungle”, there is only one clinic, and its daily catalogue of health conditions tells a story about the kind of place this is. Read more.

All Non-Profits can learn from the ways aid workers use technology

Non Profit Quarterly (September 22, 2015 | LONDON) I was working in Beirut in 2014 when it was reported that the number of Syrian refugees coming across the border had passed the one-million mark. The toll the situation was taking on the country’s housing, employment, education and services was evident, and it was bound to get worse, with the UNHCR registering 2,500 new refugees (more than one a minute) in the country every day. Read more.

Calais Crisis: Leigh Daynes on BBC Breakfast

BBC (August 20, 2015 | LONDON) Doctors of the World director, Leigh Daynes, talks about short-sighted new Home Office security measures for Calais on BBC Breakfast. Doctors of the World urges the government to spend a modest amount of Calais security money on humanitarian care. Read more.

Women and children arriving at Calais’s migrant camps ‘need greater protection’

The Guardian (August 2, 2015 | CALAIS) Women and children are turning up in large numbers at migrant camps in Calais for the first time and authorities are not doing enough to shelter and protect them, a senior aid worker has warned. “Since last summer we started to have an increase in woman and children and families. It was not like that before,” said Jean-François Corty, director of French operations for Médecins du Monde (MdM), which runs a clinic in the camp. Read more.

Migrants in Calais Desperately Rush the Channel Tunnel to England, Night After Night

The New York Times (July 30, 2015 | CALAIS) The sun had barely set when a 23-year-old Eritrean woman who gave her name as Akbrat fell into step with dozens of other men and women and started scaling the fence surrounding the entrance to the French side of the Channel Tunnel. The barbed wire cut her hands, but she did not feel the pain. The police seemed to be everywhere. Read more.

Calais crisis: medics struggle to cope with number of injured migrants

The Guardian (July 29, 2015 | CALAIS) Medical staff in Calais say they are struggling to cope with the number of seriously injured migrants, who are taking ever greater risks attempting to get to the UK. As French police confirmed the death of another migrant attempting to cross the Channel, Médecins du Monde, which has a semi-permanent base in “the jungle” migrant camp in Calais, said that the number of people needing urgent help had rocketed in recent days. Read more.

Here are the best ways to help people suffering in Greece

Mashable (July 16, 2015) Greece may have reached an agreement for a historic bailout, preventing the country from spiraling into further chaos, but that doesn’t mean Greeks are in the clear. After years of austerity measures following the global recession in 2008, Greece remains in the middle of a humanitarian crisis, and it might not even receive bailout money until mid-August. Read more.

Greek debt crisis: ‘Of all the damage, healthcare has been hit the worst’

The Guardian (July 9, 2015 | THESSALONIKI) Above a dark, tatty arcade of wholesale button traders and empty shop fronts in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, one mother was rocking a sick baby and another was carrying a toddler as they waited to see a volunteer paediatrician in the brightly painted clinic run by the Greek branch of the NGO Doctors of the World. Read more.

Greece’s Poor More Worried About Survival Than Euro’s Future

Voice of America (July 8, 2015 | ATHENS) As Europe’s politicians debate the future of Greece in the eurozone, the economic arguments seem distant for many Greeks living in poverty. Five years of government spending cuts have had a huge impact on public services, and it’s likely EU leaders will demand further austerity in return for a bailout deal. Read more.

$2 million dollar Challenge Gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation

Greek News (June 25, 2015 | NEW YORK) Doctors of the World USA (MdM USA) announced a major donation from the Jaharis Family Foundation will provide a significant boost to the global healthcare organization’s initiative of providing access to quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in Greece, specifically those affected by the economic crisis. Read more.

After the plague: Wonderful news from Liberia

The Economist (May 9, 2015 | NAIROBI) Foreign tourists have yet to return to the west African coast following last year’s Ebola epidemic that infected 25,000 people and killed more than 40% of them. But should visitors come, little would strike them as out of the ordinary. Read more.

Childbirth in Bolivia’s High Plains

The New York Times (March 13, 2015 | NEW YORK) Social marginalization and mistrust of modern medicine have caused high infant mortality rates among indigenous communities in Bolivia. Efforts over the last 10 years seek to stem the crisis while respecting traditions. Read more.

Syria crisis: UN Security Council ‘failing victims’

BBC (March 12, 2015 | LONDON) The United Nations and a global coalition of aid agencies have accused international powers of failing the victims of the Syrian conflict. Read more.

United Nations’ Reputation Slips as Four-Year War in Syria Drags On

<New York Times (March 12, 2015 | NEW YORK) United Nations experts have painstakingly documented a litany of torture, rape and execution committed in Syria in the past four years. No one has been held accountable.

The Security Council has authorized the delivery of food and medicines, but a year since it did, aid agencies say they continue to be stymied — with no reprisal from the world powers. Read more.

Gilead faces challenge to European patent on pricey hep C drug

Reuters (February 10, 2015 | LONDON) Global health charity Medecins du Monde (MdM) launched a legal challenge on Tuesday to a European patent held by U.S. drugmaker Gilead Sciences Inc which it accused of charging “exorbitant” prices for a hepatitis C drug.

Arguing that Gilead is “abusing” its patent on Sovaldi, known generically as sofosbuvir, MdM said its challenge marked the first time in Europe a medical charity has used this method to try and improve patients’ access to medicines. Read more.

In one Athens suburb, austerity rips a hole in safety net

Christian Science Monitor Online (February 1, 2015 | ATHENS, GREECE) French charity Doctors of the World provides emergency relief in war zones and natural disaster areas across Asia and Africa. But now the group finds itself working closer to home – in Greece.

After five years of austerity and recession in Greece, doctors at the charity say they are seeing a dramatic increase in poor health and malnutrition among the public. The deterioration of the country’s social safety net amid austerity-driven cuts is not just driving the political change seen in anti-austerity party Syriza’s political victory earlier this week. It’s having a very real physical impact as well. Read more.

Humanitarian Group Says Wear That Ebola Costume, But Donate For a Real One

Inside Edition (October 31, 2014 | NEW YORK) Wearing an Ebola suit this Halloween? Why not donate a real one as well? The year’s most controversial Halloween costume is about to become the year’s most meaningful Ebola donation device. Instead of judging people for wearing the controversial Ebola suit costume on Halloween this year, a leading humanitarian organization fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone and Liberia has decided to turn the issue into something positive. Watch interview with executive director Miranda Sissons.

Instead of Wearing an Ebola Costume, Donate One, New Campaign Says

TODAY.com (October 31, 2014 | NEW YORK) A controversial ripped-from-the headlines Ebola Halloween costume may end up helping fight the spread of the deadly disease. The non-profit humanitarian group Doctors of the World has launched a “More Than a Costume” on-line and print campaign. Ads in outlets like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal feature an image of man in a hazmat suit carrying a trick-or-treating pumpkin. Read More.

Halloween’s Haunting Ebolawear

USA Today (October 31, 2014 | NEW YORK) So it comes as no surprise that, this year, the Ebola crisis has infected the imaginations of trick-or-treat consumers everywhere — with costumes ranging from the unsettlingly vivid decaying-corpse ensemble to the wildly popular white (or yellow) containment suits, complete with gas mask and rubber boots (which is, perhaps less about Ebola and more about an oversupply of last year’s “Breaking Bad” costumes). Read More.

Housing Alone Won’t Heal New York: Sandy Survivors Need Healthcare, Too

AlterNet (October 29, 2014 | NEW YORK) What’s surprised us over the last year is that people’s needs run even deeper than we’d first thought. The majority of our patients—uninsured and undocumented residents—haven’t seen doctors for ten, twenty, even thirty years. They have layer upon layer of untreated conditions, from diabetes and high blood pressure, to asthma and obesity. Read More.

Poor Health Still Lingers Among Sandy Residents, Survey Finds

NY1 (September 26, 2014 | NEW YORK) Doctors of the World recently surveyed hundreds of Rockaway families about their healthcare and how it was affected after Hurricane Sandy. Watch Here.

Battling Ebola: Challenges, Ethical Dilemmas

GWToday (August 27, 2014 | WASHINGTON DC) Ron Waldman, a physician and professor in the Milken Institute School of Public Health’s Department of Global Health, worked for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more than 20 years. An expert in infectious disease, he has coordinated emergency relief efforts in countries around the world. Read More.

Doctors of the World USA Surveys Rockaway Residents on Healthcare Needs

NY1 (March 8, 2014 | NEW YORK) Humanitarian group Doctors of the World USA partnered up with Columbia University to survey Rockaway residents about what they want and need in terms of healthcare. Watch Here.

Long-Term Health Problems After Natural Disasters Strike

US News and World Report (January 6, 2014 | USA) Dr. Ron Waldman, President of the Board of Directors, is interviewed on health obstacles after a natural disaster. While the emergency phase immediately after disaster strikes focuses relief efforts on rescue and recovery, less immediate health conditions like mental and psychological issues begin to manifest in the redevelopment phase. Long-term, the health service infrastructure of disaster struck areas is typically the slowest to recover. Natural disasters may be fleeting, but the negative health consequences can persist for years. Read More.

Not-For-Profit Known for Its Work After Sandy Opens Health Clinic in Rockaways

NY1 (December 12, 2013| NEW YORK) In the Rockaways there is a high population of uninsured adults, high incidence of chronic diseases and very few local doctors. Doctors of the World decided to set up the Rockaways Free Clinic after a year of providing medical relief to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. Program Coordinator, Noah Barth says, “We felt that in doing the relief work Post-Sandy that we had made a commitment to the local community and wanted to make good on that and stick around long-term,” of the Rockaways Free Clinic which has been open for two months and is booked full for the next three weeks. Watch Here.

Disaster Response: Advancements and Accountability with Dr. Ron Waldman

Al Jazeera America Tonight (November 14, 2013| USA) Many of the organizations do have the capacity to deliver appropriate services as quickly as possible. Doctors of the World has been working in the Philippines for many years, partnering with local Filipino organizations. Having a professional corp of responders to these emergencies is essential. Watch Here.

Typhoon Haiyan: In Long-Term Disaster Relief, Humanitarian Groups Assess Medical Needs

Al Jazeera America (November 13, 2013| USA) The immediate problems are also health problems. People need clean water, sanitation facilities and shelter. When these needs are met, other issues become a priority, like reconstituting health facilities, replacing medical supplies and providing psycho/social mental health care to treat trauma. Watch Here.

Philippines: Dr. Ron Waldman Reports on Health Concerns for Typhoon Survivors

CTV News (November 13, 2013| CANADA) It’s of the greatest importance to bring relief supplies in as quickly as possible. First on the list should be hygiene kits to disinfect water as well as improving the sanitation facilities. Providing adequate shelter is also essential so that people can protect against the elements and the threat of diseases carried by mosquitoes and other insects. Watch Here.

Dr. Ron Waldman Interviewed on Disaster Response in the Philippines

HuffPost Live (November 13, 2013| USA) Providing food, water and shelter is disease prevention and is essential to early stages of relief. In the longer term, because amongst those buildings that have been destroyed are hospitals and health clinics, there’s a rebuilding process that has to begin as soon as possible. Doctors of the World has already pledged to remain in the affected area for at least 12 months. Watch Here.

Doctors Of The World Opens Free Health Clinic in The Rockaways

The Queens Courier (November 2, 2013| NEW YORK) The Rockaways have a new, free health clinic during a time some have called a “health crisis in the borough.” Doctors of the World has officially opened its doors to “an overwhelming response so far,” reports Dr. Amber Featherstone, medical director at the new clinic. Read More.

Rockaways Doctors Struggle to Recover from Superstorm Sandy

Eye Witness News WABC-TV (November 2, 2013| NEW YORK) With 60 percent of healthcare providers in the Rockaways still closed, many doctors ask is it worth it to rebuild? Doctors of the World works to fill the gap in healthcare provision with the opening of the Rockaways Free Clinic. Watch Here.

Sandy Suffering Still Acute in The Rockaways

Agence France-Presse (October 27, 2013| FRANCE) A year on, the suffering wrought by Hurricane Sandy is still acute on the Rockaways. Daily disruptions exacerbate the health side effects of the hurricane, said Program Coordinator Noah Barth. The after-effects of Sandy have caused mental depression, post-traumatic stress and anxiety and poor nutrition is a big issue. Read More.

Watch Accompanying Video Here.

Al Jazeera America Goes Inside the Rockaways Free Clinic

Al Jazeera America (October 26, 2013| USA) Almost 1 year ago, Superstorm Sandy slammed into the East Coast. One of the areas hardest hit was the Rockaways. The storm shut down crucial services like healthcare centers and now, a year later, most of them haven’t re-opend. One international aid organization is stepping in to fill the gap. Doctors of the World offers free primary and preventative care to local residents. Watch Here.

Global Relief Network Opens Health Clinic in Rockaways

TIMES Ledger (October 25, 2013| NEW YORK) Doctors of the World USA, the American delegation of the Médecins du Monde international healthcare network, held a grand opening Saturday for its Rockaways Free Clinic, at 230 Beach 102nd St. The public health organization had boots on the ground in the peninsula about a week after Hurricane Sandy, making home visits to storm victims. Now, before the one-year anniversary of Sandy, it opens the doors to a free clinic for adults without health insurance. Read More.

Free Clinic Opens In Rockaway Park to Fill Void Left by Sandy

CBS NY (October 24, 2013| NEW YORK) The Rockaways is a community still recovering and rebuilding. While the power is back, the heat is on and many residents are back in their homes, one service that is still lacking is healthcare. Doctors of the World is helping with a free health clinic. Watch Here.

Rockaways Free Clinic Aims to Heal Community Already Hurting Before Sandy

Metro NY (October 21, 2013| NEW YORK) Even before Superstorm Sandy struck, the Rockaways made up one of the most medically-underserved communities in the city. Rockaways Free Clinic organizers aim to remedy the worsening crisis, hoping the clinic will fill a healthcare gap in neighborhoods suffering from already-high rates of chronic disease. Read more.

Doctors Open Free Health Clinic in Rockaways for Sandy Victims

NY1 (October 20, 2013| NEW YORK) The Doctors of the World Rockaways Free Clinic, which opened its doors to the public for the first time last Saturday, was founded in direct response to the need to help the neighborhood after Hurricane Sandy. “As we were building these relations with the community and seeing people, we really felt committed to stay long-term, and that’s when we started approached the idea of opening a free clinic and trying to understand if this was something that we could really do and that the community really needed,” said Noah Barth, the program’s coordinator. “We’re happy that now, less than a year after the storm, this free clinic is open. Watch Here.

Clinica Gratuita Para Victimas

NY1 Noticias (October 19, 2013| NEW YORK) Watch Here.

Doctors Of The World Rockaways Free Clinic Slated to Open this Week

My FOX NY | FOX 5 (October 19, 2013| NEW YORK) FOX News covers the opening of the Rockaways Free Clinic, a project in progress since weeks after Hurricane Sandy. Watch Here.

Doctors Of The World Clinic Open

The Wave (October 18, 2013| NEW YORK) The Doctors of the World free clinic in the Rockaways is ready to open its doors. The group is holding an Open House for the community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19th. Read more.

Doctors Group to Help Heal Lingering Sandy Wounds in Far Rockaway

NY Daily News (October 17, 2013| NEW YORK) Doctors of the World USA will open a free health clinic on Beach 102nd St. next week to treat locals who are dealing with a perfect post-Sandy storm: no health insurance and fewer medical facilities nearby. Read more.

Harsh Treatment of Roma in France Draws Scrutiny

ABC News (September 25, 2013| FRANCE) “What we see on the ground is a break with the stereotypes of social and sanitary problems, and other clichés that are being invoked now,” said Jean-Francois Corty, a doctor with Medecins du Monde. “Most of the people we see want to integrate, want work, want their children in schools and want the benefits of modern medicine.” Read more.

International Relief Charity Opens First U.S. Clinic in Rockaways

WNYC (September 23, 2013| NEW YORK) Noah Barth is the program coordinator for the charity and said while Doctors of the World usually operates in distressed parts of the world, it was clear that residents of the Rockaways had severe medical needs…He’s hoping the clinic will be ready to open before the one-year anniversary of Sandy in October. It will offer free medical services to the uninsured, (an estimated 21 percent of Rockaway residents have no insurance) as well as undocumented residents and will run on donations. Read more.

As Needs Grow in Syria, Funding Gap Must Narrow

Thomson Reuters (September 19, 2013| UK) One thing that is certain is that when aid does reach Syrians, the difference it can make is huge. Doctors Of The World is one of the few organizations with doctors in Syria providing life-saving primary and mental healthcare to thousands of Syrians, as well as in Lebanon and Jordan. Read more.

French Bill Would Criminalize Paying for Sex

France 24 (September 18, 2013| FRANCE) Organisations representing sex workers claim it would push prostitution further underground and subject women to increased risks. AIDS advocacy group Act Up and French NGO Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) were among around 100 organisations who signed a petition against the proposition, arguing that it would “make prostitutes more vulnerable”. Read more.

Doctors and Health Professionals Warn of Medical Crisis in Syria

Free Speech Radio News (September 16, 2013) FSRN interviews Dr. Ron Waldman, Board President of MdM USA and a signatory of an open letter published in the medical journal The Lancet. He discusses the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria and the lack of access to medicine and healthcare. Listen here.

Open Letter: Let Us Treat Patients in Syria

The Lancet (September 16, 2013) Board President of Doctors of the World USA, Dr. Ron Waldman, joins 51 other doctors in demanding access to Syria for medical professionals to save lives and alleviate suffering. They call on the Syrian government and all armed parties to refrain from attacking healthcare facilities and to allow access to medical care for all patients. Read more.

Another Casualty of Syria’s War: Its Medical System

U.S. News & World Report (September 5, 2013 | USA) In Syria today, the unmitigated violence is what generates attention grabbing headlines and disturbing images seen around the world. Mortar blasts, sniper fire, fighter jet sorties and, maybe even, chemical warfare are only the most spectacular of the threats to civilians throughout the country. Read more.

Medical Charity Calls for Immediate Cessation of Hostilities as it Prepares to Treat Further Victims of Chemical Weapons Attacks

Thomson Reuters (August 30, 2013 | UK) As the numbers of casualties in Syria’s protracted civil war continue to escalate, international humanitarian health charity Doctors of the World has called for an immediate cessation in hostilities to enable to reach and treat all those in medical need. Read more.

Syrian Refugee Camps

C-SPAN (August 25, 2013 | USA) Dr. Ronald Waldman talked about his humanitarian mission to Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon, to examine the health impacts of the Syrian civil war. He also discussed the work of Doctors of the World USA and the state of vulnerable populations across the globe and their access to health care, and he responded to telephone calls and electronic communications. Watch here.

Free Healthcare Clinic to Open in Rockaway

The Wave (August 16, 2013 | NEW YORK) Doctors of the World USA will be providing free health care access from a clinic in Rockaway Park. The organization, which has offered services around the community since Hurricane Sandy hit, recently leased a property at 2-30 Beach 102nd Street, which will become a health clinic sometime in the next few months. Read more.

Doctors Of The World to Open Free Clinic in the Rockaways 

The Queens Courier (August 9, 2013 | NEW YORK) At the clinic, Doctors of the World will provide free service to the public, including the uninsured, thanks to a reliable donation foundation. Read more.

Seeking Belleville’s Sex Workers

The Daily Beast (July 31, 2013 | FRANCE) The nongovernmental organization Medécins du Monde (Doctors of the World) has worked closely with these women for nearly 10 years—it runs a mobile medical facility called Lotus Bus, which visits the women on the streets where they work. The service is offered in Chinese, as most of the women speak little French, or none at all. While receiving medical attention, the sex workers also are given legal help in terms of understanding their rights and how to take care of themselves. Read more.

Stanching Syria’s Bleeding 

TIME Magazine (August 7, 2012 | PARIS) “It is one of the first times in history in which medical staff are so systematically targeted,” says Patrick Villedieu, Deputy Director of International Operations for the Paris-based Doctors of the World, which treats Syrians in refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan, since it is banned from operating in regime-held Syria, and regards the rebel areas as too dangerous. “We could save a lot of lives if we could work inside Syria,” Villedieu told TIME on Tuesday. Read more.

Fiscal Crisis Takes Toll on Health of Greeks

New York Times (December 26, 2011 | PERAMA) At the Perama clinic, which is run by the international nonprofit Doctors of the World, doctors say they are seeing many families that cannot afford bus fare, let alone the new $6.50 fee at public clinics. Read more.