Yemen: Airstrike Hits MSF Cholera Treatment Center in Abs

An MSF cholera treatment center set up in Abs town, pictured in July 2017.  Gonzalo Martinez/MSF

doctorswithoutborders.org - by João Martins - June 11, 2018

A newly constructed cholera treatment center run by the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Abs, Yemen, was hit by an airstrike Monday at approximately 5:40 am.

No staff or patients were killed or injured. The facility had not yet received any cholera patients and was empty . . .

. . . Markings on the roof of the compound clearly identified the CTC as a healthcare facility. The airstrike has now rendered the CTC non-functional. In keeping with security protocol, MSF has temporarily frozen its activities in Abs until the safety of its staff and patients is guaranteed.

“This morning's attack on an MSF cholera treatment center (CTC) by the Saudi and Emirati-led coalition (SELC) shows complete disrespect for medical facilities and patients. Whether intentional or a result of negligence, it is totally unacceptable. The compound was clearly marked as a health facility and its coordinates were shared with the SELC. With only half of health facilities in Yemen fully functional, nearly 10 million people in acute need, and an anticipated outbreak of cholera, the CTC had been built to save lives. MSF has temporarily frozen its activities in Abs until the safety of its staff and patients is guaranteed.”

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ALSO SEE RELATED INFORMATION HERE - Center for Strategic & International Studies - U.S. Support for Saudi Military Operations in Yemen