Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) has called out for an independent international investigation into what it has deemed "akin to a war crime" after twelve of its employees were accidentally killed in the bombing of an MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan.
The airstrike also killed at least 10 patients, wounding 37 more, 19 of which were MSF staff. MSF has condemned the bombing, stating that all parties to the conflict, Kabul and Washington included, were fully aware of the exact GPS coordinates of the Kunduz hospital, with its precise location having been communicated by MSF as recently as 29 September 2015. The bombing was also reported to have continued for more than 30 minutes after the US and Afghan military were informed.
"MSF is deeply disgusted by recent statements coming from certain authorities of the Afghan government and justifying the attacks against the Kunduz hospital," said Christopher Stokes, Managing Director of Médecins Sans Frontières. "These statements imply that Afghan and US forces had decided together to raze a fully functional hospital - with over 180 people inside, patients and medical teams - because they claimed that the Taliban were present there. This equates to recognising this as a war crime. This completely contradicts the first attempts from the US government to minimise the consequences of the attacks as merely 'collateral damage'".
He continued: "There can be no justification for the abominable attack in our hospital, which had as a consequence the death of MSF staff whilst they were working, and patients lying in their bed. MSF reiterates its request for a fully transparent and independent international investigation".
The MSF hospital was the only health facility of its kind in the northeastern region of Afghanisation providing free trauma care surgery. The most seriously injured during the bombing were transferred to a hospital in Puli Khumri to be stabilised, a whole two hours away. Many patients and staff were still missing following the attack.
"Relying solely on an internal investigation conducted by one of the parties in the conflict would be totally inadequate," continued Stokes. "We repeat that the main building of the hospital, where medical staff were in the process of providing care to patients, has been repeatedly and very precisely targeted by each air strike, whilst the remainder of the hospital remained almost entirely unscathed. We condemn this attack committed in violation of international humanitarian law".
Photo by MSF
