Emergencies and crises

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Emergencies and crises

IN THE EVENT OF CONFLICTS OR NATURAL DISASTERS, MÉDECINS DU MONDE INTERVENES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE

We send emergency humanitarian aid teams and equipment to meet the needs of the population.

As one of the leading humanitarian organisations providing assistance to people in distress and vulnerable situations, Médecins du Monde deploys emergency response programmes in various countries.

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CRISES ARE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND LONG-LASTING

In 2020, more than one billion people were living in countries in prolonged crisis. The number of countries in prolonged crisis increased from 13 in 2005 to 31 in 2019. These countries are home to half of the world’s population living in extreme poverty.

THE CONTEXT

Conflict and forced displacement account for the majority of these crises, and an estimated 274 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance in 2023. In five countries, more than half the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. The number of internally displaced people worldwide increased for the eighth consecutive year in 2020 (to a total of 82.4 million people), the majority of whom were internally displaced (48 million internally displaced people in 2020).

The combination of conflict, acute food insecurity and the consequences of climate change make crises more complex, while health threats and epidemics have a greater impact on countries in crisis: cholera, although easily treated and prevented, kills nearly 100,000 people every year and there are still more than 400,000 malaria-related deaths each year (90% in sub-Saharan Africa, killing more people than the conflict in CAR). Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented global challenge since 2020, both in terms of scale and complexity. Already under strain, the humanitarian system has to adapt to meet the needs of people affected by the pandemic and the consequences of policies to contain it.

Crises exacerbate the inequalities and vulnerabilities faced by women and girls, but the lack of gender-disaggregated data masks the extent of these.

INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES AND CRISES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS

ENDANGERMENT OF POPULATIONS

VIOLATION OF HEALTH RIGHTS

CRISES EXACERBATE INEQUALITIES AND VULNERABILITIES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

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OUR WORK

274 MILLION PEOPLE ESTIMATED TO BE IN NEED OF HUMANITARIAN AID

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INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES AND CRISES OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS

ENDANGERMENT OF POPULATIONS

VIOLATION OF HEALTH RIGHTS

CRISES EXACERBATE INEQUALITIES AND VULNERABILITIES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK OUR WORK

OUR WORK

274 MILLION PEOPLE ESTIMATED TO BE IN NEED OF HUMANITARIAN AID

SUPPORT THE WORK OF MÉDECINS DU MONDE

Make a donation

INTERVENING IN AN EMERGENCY

For MdM, a humanitarian emergency is characterised by a breakdown in access to healthcare.

Our response is based on an assessment by our teams of the consequences of the crisis on the population, in close collaboration with the ministries of health of the affected countries and civil society partners.

Our goal: to restore access to care when the health system is weakened by a humanitarian disaster. In the face of these situations, we provide emergency aid in response to the distress of populations left behind.

Our strength: real expertise in primary healthcare and sexual and reproductive healthcare for the most vulnerable.

WHAT WE ARE DOING

NOTRE ASSISTANCE HUMANITAIRE EN DEUX ÉTAPES

OUR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN TWO STAGES

The diversity of humanitarian crisis situations requires an effective and rapid response.

This is why Médecins du Monde assesses each situation and uses its experience in the field to help people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. To do so, knowledge of the context, the populations, and the particularities of the humanitarian crisis is essential.

SE PREPARER AUX URGENCES : UN ÉLÉMENT VITAL POUR UNE RÉPONSE EFFICACE

PREPARING FOR EMERGENCIES: A VITAL ELEMENT FOR AN EFFECTIVE RESPONSE

Médecins du Monde strengthens and prepares existing missions to respond effectively to emergencies and their potential humanitarian impact.

Preparedness allows us to better cope with likely emergencies and, above all, to limit the morbidity and mortality associated with them by responding as quickly, comprehensively and appropriately as possible.

Saving time on gaining contextual knowledge and building response capabilities allows for better contextualisation of the response and saves valuable time by anticipating certain obstacles.

HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES: ADAPTING TO EACH CRISIS

In humanitarian emergencies, we respond quickly by sending teams and equipment to the field to restore access to care and meet initial health needs. If we have ongoing programmes in the countries concerned, we rely on the teams already in place to act more efficiently in response to the humanitarian emergency.

Médecins du Monde aims to bring comprehensive primary healthcare to populations affected by conflicts and disasters around the world, and to support local medical structures. We also work with displaced populations and refugees in camps and elsewhere to provide medical and psychosocial consultations. We are committed to providing services even in the most remote areas through mobile clinics.

In the event of a natural disaster, we send medicines and medical consumables, health equipment and human reinforcements. We also intervene via mobile clinics and help rebuild damaged or destroyed healthcare facilities.

ADVOCACY: ESSENTIAL FOR RESPONDING TO HUMANITARIAN CRISES

Humanitarian crises exacerbate inequalities and vulnerabilities, and the work of organisations such as Médecins du Monde is increasingly limited by states and geopolitical opposition. Policies have an impact on the prevention, management and resolution of crises, and therefore have an impact on people’s health. Médecins du Monde considers the role of civil society to be key in reminding states of their obligations and ensuring the right of people to have access to quality healthcare at all times and in all places.

Médecins du Monde wishes to continue its work to preserve, protect and guarantee the right to health of people living in crisis situations. To this end, we consistently call for all belligerents to respect international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We advocate for better access for humanitarian workers to populations in need, and for populations to healthcare. We also work to ensure that humanitarian and health workers are better protected in crisis situations.