IS MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES SUPERSEDING UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES?

During the Ebola crisis in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which, thankfully, is now nearing its end, one organisation stood out distinctly amongst other organisations and purveyed light, whilst others remained 'blind' or 'indolent'. It was very serious indeed that blindness and confusion should exist in such bodies, for it is to them that the world usually looks for salvation, when a calamity of such proportions is unleashed upon the world population.

The organisation that stood out to be counted was Medecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Whilst the rich and powerful nations of the world, especially the United States, Britain and France, twiddled their thumbs, MSF sent doctors and health personnel to the danger spots. They risked their own lives to save the victims of Ebola. The organisation would, I think, normally have saved lives and kept quiet. But the problem was so gargantuan that it went to the UN and told the world’s leaders (in so many words) that unless they moved in very fast indeed, they would witness a calamity of such proportions as would brand them forever as callous, unfeeling human beings.

The tactic worked. The USA, Britain and France - all of which have special medical units that are trained to fight hazards unleashed on humans by chemical and nuclear warfare, got their act together and sent well-equipped teams to the three countries being devastated by Ebola.

Why did they wait for so long? Indeed, had the populations of the rich Western countries not been alarmed by the possibility of travellers arriving on their shores with Ebola, would they have bothered to go to the aid of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia at all? And why did the World Health Organisation, which should have more forcefully conveyed the urgency of the situation to the rich and powerful nations, appear so ineffectual at the beginning of the crisis? We cannot answer those questions now but whistle-blowers still exist. People of good conscience are beginning to evaluate the responses with which the crisis was greeted.

The only organisation that does not need to evaluate its response is MSF. The reason is that MSF - as it appears to me - has told itself that it dares not fail. It knows that quite often, it is the last stand between humanity and total disaster.

I have only once met an MSF doctor - and that was by accident. I was sitting in a dentist’s chair of all places. This was in London and to make conversation, the dentist casually asked where I came from. When I told him, the conversation shifted to Africa and he then told me - quite casually - that he had spent a year or two in the Southern Sudan, as an MSF volunteer, looking after the teeth of the guerrilla fighters of the Sudan People’s Liberation Front (SPLA).

That dentist’s quiet revelation has been in my mind a lot during the Ebola crisis. MSF doctors, nurses and other para-medics just went to Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - without fanfare and ahead of everyone. And now, even before Ebola is completely conquered, MSF is at the forefront of another major effort: it is launching a programme to rescue some of the thousands of migrants thrown into the cruel sea to drown, by human traffickers.

An announcement by the MSF says simply:
QUOTE: 'Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) will launch a joint search, rescue and medical aid operation in the central Mediterranean between Africa and Europe…. from May to October, when thousands of people are expected to risk their lives attempting to reach safe havens in Europe. Last year [2014] was the deadliest on record for people crossing the Mediterranean; more than 3,400 people died trying to reach Europe. [In one disaster last month, 800 would-be migrants drowned from one boat alone!] This year [2015] the death toll is predicted to be even higher, as even less assistance is available to boats in distress.

'The Italian navy's search and rescue operation was discontinued in November 2014 due to a lack of funding from European governments. Europe has turned its back on people fleeing some of the worst humanitarian crises of our time. The decision to close doors and build fences [around Europe] means that men, women and children are forced to risk their lives and take a desperate journey across the sea. Ignoring this situation will not make it go away.'UNQUOTE

It is to be hoped that just as in the case of Ebola, the ability of MSF to cut through woolly thinking and get down to basics, will shame Europe into resuming and improving Europe’s life-saving operations in the Mediterranean. An awareness needs to be created in Europe that imprisonment and neglect are not what should meet the migrants who manage, against great odds, to escape from death in the sea.

That MSF is being driven by the situation to even consider taking to the sea should tell European governments and their people this: history teaches that Europe has been the cause of many miserable deaths of people in their own countries and in slave-worked plantations abroad. Worse, Europe left systems in former colonial countries that have brought about horrendous social and economic policies, adopted by the alien governmental systems that Europe bequeathed to many countries. But now that some of the unexpected consequences of these systems are arriving on Europe’s doorsteps, Europe does not want to know. Europe’s callous escape route should be blocked by the consciences of Europe’s populace. The hypocrisy of their governments should be exposed. And MSF will not shy away from leading the awakening.

Humanitarian organisations across Europe and around the world should flock in support of MSF’s efforts. Europe needs to be really shamed into doing its duty by the 'wretched of the earth', many of whom were created by Europe’s surrogate pillagers of the wealth of developing countries.

By CAMERON DUODU
www.cameronduodu.com