Ethiopia: MSF withdraws from Fiiq

NEWS | 09 July 2008

Unable to respond to the medical needs of people affected by the internal conflict in Ethiopia’s Somali Region, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has decided to stop its activities and withdraw from the Fiiq area where it started giving assistance in December 2007.

Since April 2007, increasing violence and economic blockades linked to the conflict between the Ethiopian authorities and opposition movements have had critical repercussions for the civilian population. Their situation is further worsened by the ongoing drought. The mostly nomadic population is faced with movement restrictions that do not allow them to use their traditional methods of survival and limit their access to healthcare and food aid.

Repeated administrative hurdles and intimidation of MSF staff in the Fiiq area have prevented the organization from bringing urgently needed medical care to vulnerable populations. Despite agreements signed with the federal authorities, MSF international staff have not received necessary work permits, and could only be on site for short periods. There have been repeated arrests of MSF staff without charge or explanation.

“Over the six months of our intervention, our medical teams could only work for ten weeks in Fiiq town and five in the periphery of the town where the most important needs are. It significantly reduces the medical impact of our action,” said Hugues Robert, in charge of the Ethiopia program. Only 84 malnourished children have been treated, when severe malnutrition rates are as high as nine per cent in some villages, according to MSF’s last assessment in May. In addition, over the past six months, MSF mobile teams have only been able to administer medical consultations to 677 patients in the most affected rural area around Fiiq, where many more patients would have been expected.

“We are unable to consistently carry out independent needs assessments and implement our activities where the needs are greatest,” said Robert. “Despite continuous attempts to improve the working relations with the authorities, our organization can only regret the absence of any room to bring independent and impartial assistance.”

At a time when there is an urgent need to increase the level of aid, MSF appeals to the government of Ethiopia to improve the working conditions for humanitarian organizations in the Somali Region.