Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières - USA

📍 Lankien, South Sudan: Our teams are using music as therapy to help reduce anxiety and improve the mood of our patients. Mental health services are limited in the country, and MSF is one of the few organizations that provides this type of care. With scarce resources and deep-seated stigma around mental health issues, many people face their struggles in silence, enduring a daily battle that goes unseen and unheard. #MentalHealth #MusicTherapy 🔗 https://lnkd.in/esak9MgZ

For the past few months, Caroline Willemen worked as a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) project coordinator for Jenin/Tulkarem, in Palestine. Through her experiences on the ground and those of her colleagues, she discusses the impact of military incursions by Israeli forces in the West Bank, particularly how they impede access to health care, and their toll on people's #mentalhealth. 

UPDATE 10/31: We have received confirmation that Dr. Mohammed Obeid, an MSF orthopedic surgeon, has been detained by Israeli forces along with several medical staff from Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza during a military operation at the hospital on October 26. We are extremely alarmed by the detention of our colleague, and we call for his safety and protection, as well as for the safety and protection of all Gazan medical staff who face horrific violence while trying to provide care. We have officially requested information from the Israeli authorities on Dr. Obeid’s detention status, his current location, and any information regarding his physical and mental well-being. Since the escalation of war more than a year ago, Israeli forces have systematically bombed and raided our hospitals, attacked our convoys, detained our staff, and bulldozed our vehicles. More than 1,000 health workers have been killed in the past year, including eight associated with MSF. MSF has had to flee 14 different health structures since the start of the war. 

UNRWA is the largest health provider in Gaza, providing essential health care services to more than 50% of Gazans. The Israeli Knesset’s announcement to ban UNRWA operations represents a devastating blow to Palestinians, further jeopardizing their survival in Gaza and greatly impacting communities in the West Bank. MSF’s secretary general Chris Lockyear stated, “UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestinians. We strongly condemn this decision, which is the culmination of a long-running campaign against the organization.” https://lnkd.in/eKMceZg8

A Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières - USA colleague writes from Sudan's war-torn Darfur region: women are giving birth in dangerous conditions in the camps where they have fled to escape violence. There is so much more that the world must do to help people in these tragic circumstances.

🔴 Across southern Lebanon, countless families have been uprooted and forced to seek safety from the ongoing Israeli bombardment. Patients have been sharing their stories with our mobile medical teams who have been visiting several locations in the southern city to offer essential primary health care, medication and treatment, and mental health support. https://lnkd.in/eu2PmzFp

MSF has lost contact with Dr. Mohammed Obeid, an orthopedic surgeon working at Kamal Adwan Hospital amid intense Israeli military operations. We are urgently seeking information about his whereabouts, and call for his safety and protection, as well as for all medical staff in Gaza.

Pictured: A new father in Burkina Faso practicing the kangaroo method with one of his premature newborn twins. ❤️ The bond between a parent and newborn is established early on and is critically important, especially with a premature baby. The kangaroo method is centered around skin-to-skin contact which can improve a baby’s sleep and growth, as well as help protect them against infection and low body temperature. This type of physical touch also helps strengthen the bond between a parent and their newborn. 📸 Burkina Faso 2024 © Awa Ngom/MSF 

📍 Lebanon: The violence and destruction people are witnessing due to the war between Hezbollah and Israel can have lasting impacts on psychological and emotional well-being, especially for children. MSF teams in Lebanon are providing primary and mental health care to displaced people, including psychological first aid and psychoeducation through our mobile medical units across the country. We have also launched a helpline through which people can receive remote assistance from clinical psychologists who help manage trauma-related symptoms such as anxiety and grief. MORE on our response: https://lnkd.in/eM5jqJJn

🔴 More attention is needed on northern Gaza. Yesterday, we received these messages from our colleague Dr. Mohammed Obeid while he was sheltering in Kamal Adwan hospital. In recent days, Israeli forces have targeted the last remaining hospitals in the north, including the Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Kamal Adwan hospitals. Israeli forces need to immediately stop attacking health facilities, cease the all-out war on the people of Gaza, and allow for the evacuation of people in need of vital care. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/djjj9KsP