Top Ten Humanitarian Crises List Released by MSF

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Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has released its 11th annual top-ten humanitarian crises list highlighting what the organization sees as the 10 worst humanitarian crises in the world for 2008.  On the list are the usual suspects, such as the conflict in Darfur, the strife in Somalia, and the overall deterioration of life in Zimbabwe.

According to MSF, "The report underscores major difficulties in bringing assistance to people affected by conflict. The lack of global attention to the growing prevalence of HIV-tuberculosis co-infection and the critical need for increased global efforts to prevent and treat childhood malnutrition—the underlying cause of death for up to five million children per year—are also included in the list."

Due to ongoing conflict and suspicion of foreign aid groups, MSF has had problems delivering the necessary help in a number of these countries.  In Somalia, MSF has had to withdraw staff due to threats and attacks against aid workers.  Aid groups have had similar problems in Pakistan.  In Niger, Myanmar (Burma) and Zimbabwe extreme health crises have been met with governments that have been hostile to foreign help making the work of MSF and others more difficult.

The top-ten humanitarian crises, according to MSF are:

• the humanitarian crisis in Somalia
• unmet critical health needs in Myanmar
• the spreading health crisis in Zimbabwe as violence spreads and the economy collapses
• ongoing war in eastern Congo
• millions on malnourished children left untreated as lifesaving nutritional therapies exist
• need for assistance in Ethiopia's Somali region
• civilian toll from fighting in northwestern Pakistan
• ongoing disaster in Darfur
• Iraqi civilians in urgent need of assistance
• HIV/TB infection