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MSF Ends Afghan Hospital Operation Following Deadly May Attack

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN - A global medical humanitarian organization has
   withdrawn from a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, a month after unknown
   gunmen raided the facility's maternity ward and "systematically" killed
   16 women.

   Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, announced its
   decision Monday, noting that the May 12 "horrifying" assault on the
   Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in the Afghan capital remained unclaimed, nor
   has there been any information about the perpetrators or motive.

   A midwife working for MSF, two young children and six other people
   present at the time of the attack were also killed.

   The statement explained MSF has run the maternity ward at the hospital
   since November 2014 and provided free-of-charge maternity and neonatal
   care. It said the humanitarian mission was "deeply concerned" that
   similar attacks targeting its staff and patients may be repeated in the
   future.

   "We were aware that our presence in Dasht-e-Barchi carried risks," said
   Thierry Allafort-Duverger, MSF's general director.'¯"But we just
   couldn't believe that someone would take advantage of the absolute
   vulnerability of women about to give birth to exterminate them and
   their babies."

   Five of the slain women were in labor and were minutes, or at most
   hours, from giving birth, according to MSF.

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