When a natural or a man-made disaster strikes a developing country, death and disease is often compounded by a lack of adequate medical care. In many war-torn countries, animosity is so great between warring factions that medical care is often denied to those in need because of their religion, ethnic identity, or political affiliations. In such cases, who will help the helpless? In 1971, a group of concerned physicians established Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), to provide emergency assistance wherever wars and man-made disasters occur. Since then, MSF has grown into the world's largest independent international medical relief agency, aiding victims of epidemics, armed conflict, and natural and man-made disasters in more than 80 countries through the efforts of more than 2,000 volunteers representing over 45 nationalities.
"Doctors Without Borders,"
Journal of Mine Action
: Vol. 3
, Article 21.
Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol3/iss3/21