Sydney, 18 April: In the wake of the recent announcement by the Pakistani authorities that ‘Phase Two’ of the ‘repatriation plan’ of Afghans in the country will begin after Eid (15 April), Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is deeply concerned for the rights and welfare of those impacted by the latest round of deportations.
For many Afghans, this ‘repatriation’ means packing up their belongings and carrying them on a horse, cart, car and bus and travelling en masse to a country that is already struggling with widespread poverty, inadequate health services and increased restrictions on women.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) first started working in Pakistan in 1986, and today provides much-needed medical care to people in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces. Access to healthcare remains a challenge in Pakistan, especially for people in rural communities, informal settlements and areas affected by conflict. MSF has projects providing reproductive, neonatal and paediatric care, diagnosis and treatment of cutaneous leischmaniasis, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C, and diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in the country.
MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au