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Where is the ceasefire in Southern Lebanon?

MSF donations in the war-ravaged Tibnine southern Lebanon

Where is the ceasefire in Southern Lebanon?

How is this still happening, and how are we expected to live with it? How has the destruction of homes, the displacement of families, and living in constant fear become our new ‘normal’?

Sitting among his peers, surrounded by notebooks and crayons, 12-year-old Mohamad Mehdi recalled the day his and his family’s lives changed forever: “I was at school and saw the teachers running in the hallways, so I thought they [Israeli warplanes] were going to attack the school. But as we were fleeing our village of Kfar Tebnit, I learned that our house and neighbourhood were struck.”

On 2 February, Mohamad Mehdi lost his family home in one of the Israeli strikes that hit several towns in southern Lebanon, including Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana in Nabatiyeh governorate.[1] The strikes caused widespread destruction in residential areas, displacing at least 37 families from Kfar Tebnit alone. While some attacks were preceded by so-called evacuation orders, this has not always been the case — leaving communities across the south and Bekaa living in constant uncertainty and fear.

[1] Since the beginning of 2026 alone, Israeli forces have issued 13 so-called evacuation orders, damaging 1,406 residential units, according to the Council of South Lebanon.

With each new Israeli strike, pre-existing humanitarian needs are exacerbated, adding to the psychological burden borne by people who continue to show exceptional resilience in these conditions. In the aftermath of the airstrikes on Kfar Tebnit, MSF teams mobilized immediately to respond to urgent needs, distributing 40 food parcels alongside 100 blankets, 100 mattresses, and 100 pillows to the affected families. Meanwhile, our mobile medical and mental health teams have continued to provide primary healthcare services, psychological support, and health promotion activities across the governorate to support residents living through repeated trauma and continuous displacement.

Our teams are present on the ground, delivering urgent aid and supporting healthcare. But what we responded to in Kfar Tebnit is not an isolated incident: it reflects the reality for thousands of people in southern Lebanon. Families are living in constant uncertainty, never knowing if their home or loved ones will be struck next. Again and again, we hear people ask: where is the ceasefire?

Jeremy Ristord, Head of Programmes for MSF in Lebanon

Since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, Israeli attacks have persisted on several regions in the country and have intensified in southern Lebanon. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports more than 10,000 ceasefire violations by Israeli forces,[1] while more than 370 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since the ceasefire began. These attacks are driving repeated waves of displacement, damaging civilian infrastructure, including homes and essential services, and preventing thousands of people from returning to their villages to rebuild. “The continuing Israeli attacks do not only destroy houses and infrastructure; they erode the pillars of daily life and recovery,” Ristord added.

During our response in Kfar Tebnit, we met with Hawraa al-Mokdad, Mohamad Mehdi’s mother. A nursing teacher, she lost her home in the recent Israeli strike. She shared: “I was at the nursing institute when one of my students told me that my house was in an area under threat of being bombed. In a single moment, I realized I was going to lose my home, my garden, and everything that holds my memories and those of my children. It was painful and shocking, but at the same time, this is the reality that Israeli attacks have imposed on our lives for some time now.”

Hawraa visited our mobile medical clinic in Kfar Tebnit with her two children after she and her family faced a loss that left them reeling. The destruction was not limited to their home and personal belongings; they also lost their identity documents, medical files, and everything else that documented their lives—a shock that stripped them of their sense of stability. “My eldest son is facing difficulties studying and a lack of concentration, while his younger brother has become noticeably more restless,” Hawraa said. Choking back tears, she added, “Every morning, my boys remember their toys and all the moments they spent in our home before it was destroyed.”

This painful reality is shared by many across south Lebanon. In January, Alice Reda, a finance and human resources assistant working in MSF’s Nabatiyeh project, was visiting her parents in Kfar Hatta, Saida district, when so-called evacuation orders were suddenly issued for her town, triggering a familiar moment of panic experienced by many. “How is this still happening, and how are we expected to live with it?” she said. “How has the destruction of homes, the displacement of families, and living in constant fear become our new ‘normal’?”

In southern Lebanon, the MSF mobile clinic provides essential services, including primary care, paediatrics, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health services. In 2025 alone, our teams in Nabatieh provided over 28,000 general consultations, around 2,800 mental health consultations, and more than 10,300 health promotion sessions. These activities are continuing throughout 2026, amidst the ongoing Israeli bombardment in the region. Our teams also respond to the urgent needs following these devastating attacks and the resulting displacement by distributing essential relief items—such as food parcels, blankets, mattresses, and other necessities—to affected families. These families have not yet reached the recovery they so desperately need; rather, they are experiencing what amounts to mere survival under fire.

[1] Updated estimates from UNIFIL and the Lebanese government in February 2026 put the figure closer to 15,400.

Four Years of Full-Scale War in Ukraine

Zinaida Babisheva hugs her dog Toshyk. She is 67 years old and was evacuated from Lyman Ukraine

Four Years of Full-Scale War in Ukraine

The scale of destruction in Ukraine is enormous and has only grown since Russian forces invaded in 2022. The nature of front-line warfare encompassing artillery, drones and missiles, means that nothing and no-one is spared as it shifts.

Damir is two months old. His mother, Kateryna Murashkina, is 17. Since his birth, he has been bathed twice — once in the hospital, and once on a rare day when electricity briefly returned.

“We use wipes now because it’s very cold,” she says. “The room doesn’t warm up in time to bathe him. I’m afraid of giving my child a cold.”

Kateryna and Damir live in a former scientific institute in Dnipro, repurposed as a shelter in 2022, where MSF teams now provide medical consultations for residents. Around 270 people displaced from occupied areas or cities reduced to ruins now live there. Repeated strikes by Russian forces on energy infrastructure mean residents endure days without heating, water, or electricity — in temperatures that fall to minus 20°C.

MSF’s increased presence in shelters like this one through mobile medical clinics, reflects the growing needs for displaced people as fighting continues to empty towns and villages. Consultations provided through mobile medical clinics more than doubled in 2025 compared to 2024 — increasing from 4,327 to 9,500.

For many people living near the front line, the decision to leave home takes a long time, and is extremely difficult – despite the extreme danger posed by the encroaching front line. With limited financial means and few alternatives, elderly people and those with chronic illnesses often remain in their homes until sustained bombardment and the collapse of infrastructure and essential services, including medical services, leave them no choice but to flee.

MSF teams have also been forced to adapt – leaving seven hospitals and over 40 locations where they were running mobile clinics – when the situation becomes too dangerous.

Lyman, in Donetsk region, is one district where MSF was running mobile medical clinics before insecurity made operations impossible. In June 2024, activities were suspended entirely. Today, approximately 2,000 residents remain in the frontline town, which faces daily shelling.

Lyman was also 67-year-old Zinaida Babisheva’s home, who now lives in the Dnipro displacement shelter. She recalls life before the full-scale invasion. She remembers pulling tables into the street on public holidays to eat with neighbours. She remembers her garden.

“We had apples, plums, cherries, pears, peaches. So many roses and lilies,” she says. “Now my daughter grows flowers, but I no longer feel like doing anything.”

Liubov Kuzmenko, 65, from Siverskodonetsk also lives in the shelter with Zinaida, Kateryna and Damir. She says her apartment was looted after Russian forces took control. But what weighs most heavily on her is separation from her family.

“My parents stayed under occupation. My father died in 2024, and I couldn’t return to bury him. I send my mother video messages — it hurts that I cannot be there.”

As the war grinds on, hospitals, pharmacies, schools and shops have been destroyed or closed. Entire communities have become uninhabitable. As fighting continues, displacement has risen — and the humanitarian needs grow more complex and prolonged.

MSF continues to provide medical and psychological care across Ukraine: supporting hospitals near the frontline, running ambulances for war-wounded patients, and operating mobile clinics in shelters and communities hosting displaced people and in locations where people are trying to remain despite collapsing services and encroaching frontlines.

Northeast Syria: Fighting Sparks Mass Displacement

Northeast Syria: Fighting Sparks Mass Displacement

“My dream is that we have a stable life, without moving from one place to another,” says Layla. “We just want to live without fear.”

Fourteen years of conflict have left Syria deeply scarred, and for many people in the northeast, displacement continues to shape daily life. One year after the fall of the previous government, renewed fighting in mid-January 2026 displaced tens of thousands of people, overwhelming already stretched shelters and health services.

On 17 January, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced their withdrawal from Deir Hafer and Maskana in eastern Aleppo countryside. Shortly after, the Syrian Arab Army declared control over both towns and advanced into parts of Raqqa, Deir ez Zor, and Hassakeh. Clashes in areas previously held by the Syrian Democratic Forces triggered widespread civilian displacement.

Hospitals under pressure

The fighting quickly overwhelmed hospitals. During the peak violence on 18 and 19 January, the MSF-supported Deir ez Zor National Hospital received more than 100 wounded patients in just two days.

MSF teams supported emergency trauma care and donated surgical and anaesthesia kits, along with essential medications, to Deir ez Zor and Raqqa national hospitals, working closely with local health authorities to respond to urgent needs.

Shelters stretched beyond capacity

As violence spread, many displaced families sought safety in Qamishli, Hassakeh governorate. Exposed to freezing winter conditions along the route, they arrived to Qamishli with only carrying only a few personal belongings with them.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimated that as of 4 February there were 94,051 people displaced in Al-Hassakeh governorate. The sudden influx has put immense pressure on basic services.

Many shelters are former schools, often poorly maintained. Upon arriving in Qamishli, MSF team visited two schools that had been repurposed into shelters. The buildings suffered from years of neglect, with peeling walls, damaged or dysfunctional toilets, and little insulation from the cold. Clothes belonging to displaced people were hung along the windows and walls to dry. During the first days of displacement, temperatures fell below 0°C, leaving families struggling to stay warm.

Lives marked by repeated displacement

Many people sheltering in Qamishli have been displaced multiple times over the years. “I am originally from Afrin. Our life was normal, like any other family. We had livestock, and we were financially stable,” says Hevin Misto, a young woman and former Kurdish teacher. “That changed when Turkey’s incursion into Afrin happened in 2018.”

Hevin describes fleeing her home and hiding in a cave before reaching Shahba <area north of Aleppo>. “In Shahba, we tried to build a new life, and I started my career as a Kurdish teacher. We have stayed in Shahba for 7 years,” she says. “But in late 2024, violence came again. We were displaced to Raqqa after attacks on Tal Rifaat and Shahba.”

Hevin’s family spent a year sheltering in a school in Raqqa before being forced to flee again. “Now we are here in Qamishli,” she says. “Each time we try to rebuild, violence follows us.”

Funding gaps worsen conditions

The humanitarian efforts in northeast Syria were already under pressure due to repeated funding cuts. Now, the recent surge in forced displacement has made the situation even worse, overwhelming an already fragile system, and making it even harder for thousands of people to get basic services such as healthcare, clean water, and sanitation.

Layla Tobal, mother of five-year-old Rashid, describes fleeing Raqqa with almost nothing. Originally from Afrin, this is the third time her family has been displaced.

“While we were in Raqqa, we heard clashes and shootings,” she says. “We fled only with the clothes we were wearing. Here in Qamishli, we have nothing.”

“My son, Rashid, suffers from epilepsy and we struggle to get him the required medications. My husband and I are both sick because of the cold. Most days, our heater does not work because there is no fuel.”

“We need clothes, blankets, and fuel. Many families here also urgently need infant milk,” she adds.

The most vulnerable at risk

Conditions are especially harsh for people with chronic illnesses or disabilities. In one of the school rooms, we met a middle-aged man under a blanket. Younis Mouhammad lost both legs due to complications from diabetes.

“I lost my first leg in 2019 and the other one in 2022,” Younis says. “I used to work in construction, but now I am not able to do anything”.

“We need urgent support,” he says. “There are 28 families living in this school and all of them need care and assistance”.

Emergency response continues

To help displaced people, MSF medical teams are running mobile clinics in Qamishli and Derik/Al Malikiyah, providing consultations, treatment for acute and chronic conditions to ensure displaced people can access essential healthcare. More than 1320 patients have already received care.

MSF teams also distributed around 2000 mattresses, over 3220 blankets, 530 hygiene kits, hot meals, and kitchen utensils kits across more than 30 shelters in Derik/Al Malikiyah, Hassakeh and Qamishli, reaching over 330 families.

MSF water and sanitation teams truck clean water in and repair infrastructure like toilets, pipes, taps, and water tanks in shelters, ensuring displaced people have safe water to use.

A crisis demanding sustained support

Despite these efforts, shelters and services remain overwhelmed. Many families still lack adequate heating, food, clean water, and healthcare. For people exhausted by years of conflict, uncertainty remains constant.

People who have been forced to flee again and again just want to be able to live in safety and with dignity. All efforts must be made to ensure they are able to do so.

Barbara Hessel, head of MSF programmes

Sudan: Repeated drone strikes hit civilian areas

Sudan: Repeated drone strikes hit civilian areas

MSF urges warrying parties to immediately spare civilians and humanitarian workers.

Port Sudan, February 19, 2026 – Drone attacks carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are hitting civilian areas and critical infrastructures, including schools, markets, healthcare facilities, and water sources, across Sudan. In the first two weeks of February, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams have treated 167 patients suffering from penetrating injuries at level of thorax and abdomen, multiple fractures of limbs, head injuries and drone shrapnel. MSF warns that this pattern of attacks is placing civilians and humanitarian workers at grave risk and calls for their immediate protection.

On February 15, an MSF team in Adré, eastern Chad, received 18 civilians—including four women and three children—who were injured in SAF drone strikes on a fuel market just across the border in Adikong, West Darfur state. On February 6, 29 people sustaining injuries were treated at MSF supported hospital in Tine, also in eastern Chad, following two RSF drone attacks in western Sudan which killed at least 10 people, four of whom died in the hospital. Since that date, patients have been arriving frequently due to strikes.

“Among the patients we received, a nine-year-old boy arrived with a large shrapnel wound to his eye, extensive facial fractures, and two amputated fingers. He was in severe pain and exposed to dust after a long journey to reach the facility. Even with optimal care, he is likely to face long-term disability. He was transferred to Ndjamena for further treatment,” says Virginia Moneti, MSF Project Medical Coordinator in Tine.

Our teams in Zalingei, Central Darfur, also treated 29 patients this month following several attacks, including at least 8 civilians.

Following drone strikes on 3 November in North Darfur, MSF was forced to withdraw from Kornoi and Tina, halting vital medical and humanitarian services. These attacks have made it impossible for MSF to maintain a safe presence, leaving people without essential care.

The war in Sudan is being fought with drones beyond the front lines. Our teams are regularly treating large numbers of drone wounded people, including women and children. These strikes are used to disrupt supply lines, damage civilian infrastructure, and at risk of creating siege-like conditions in contested areas.

Esperanza Santos, MSF head of emergencies

In North Kordofan, where MSF recently launched an emergency response in El Obeid, drone strikes reportedly hit a humanitarian convoy, a vehicle carrying displaced people, and a bus station on 6-7 February. Drone attacks reportedly also hit various health facilities in Kadugli and Dilling, South Kordofan state, in the first two weeks of February.

Recent incidents reveal a disturbing pattern in the conduct of the war in Sudan. Drone strikes are not limited to military targets, sometimes with multiple follow-ups strikes on the same location, and are causing devastating harm: civilians, including children, are being killed or severely injured in blatant disregard of international humanitarian law. Armed actors must take immediate measures to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. Civilians must be always spared.

Esperanza Santos, MSF head of emergencies

MSF is deeply alarmed by this situation. When civilian areas and humanitarian infrastructure are not respected, our teams cannot operate safely, leaving communities without essential care. This is the exact opposite of what the people of Sudan urgently need, as humanitarian needs are immense and an immediate scale-up of assistance is critical.

MSF responds to attacks on Kfar Tebnit, South of Lebanon

MSF teams in the area mobilized to respond to the needs caused by the attack and consequent displacement. Our logistical teams distributed relief items

MSF responds to attacks on Kfar Tebnit, South of Lebanon

On 2 February, Israeli strikes hit several towns in southern Lebanon, including Kfar Tebnit and Ain Qana, causing widespread destruction in residential areas and displacing at least 37 families. While some attacks were preceded by so-called evacuation orders, this has not always been the case — leaving communities across the south living in constant uncertainty and fear.

“In just a few minutes, 37 families in Kfar Tebnit, 37 mothers and fathers, were once again forced to pack what they could of their lives into bags and flee, leaving behind their memories, their homes and their sense of safety and stability,” said Mahmoud Khalifa, MSF’s Project Coordinator in Nabatieh.

For people in Kfar Tebnit, the impact is deeply personal and painfully familiar. “What happened was not a passing incident, but a social and humanitarian shock that struck families already exhausted by displacement, children stripped of their sense of safety, and a local community living under the constant weight of threat. No one can truly understand the meaning of this repeated destruction except those who have lived through it — or suddenly found it before their eyes, affecting people they know by name and share daily struggles with.” said Rima Ahmad Chamoun, director of the Ministry of Social Affairs –affiliated centre in Kfar Tebnit where MSF’s mobile clinics often visit to provide healthcare services.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, MSF teams mobilized to respond to urgent needs, distributing 40 food parcels alongside 100 blankets, 100 mattresses, and 100 pillows to affected families. At the same time, MSF’s medical and mental health mobile teams across the governorate continue to provide primary healthcare, psychological support, and health promotion activities to communities coping with repeated trauma and displacement.

“Our teams are responding, but how do communities rebuild their lives under continued attack?” Khalifa added.

Since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have persisted, driving repeated waves of displacement and damaging civilian infrastructure, including homes and essential services. Only last week, MSF similarly responded following Israeli airstrikes on five southern towns in the districts of Nabatieh and Saida. Our teams supported displaced families through emergency distributions and mental health interventions in Kharayeb and Qanarit.

This painful reality is shared by many across the south. In January, Alice Reda, a finance and human resources assistant working in MSF’s Nabatieh project, was visiting her parents in Kfar Hatta when so-called evacuation orders were suddenly issued for her town, triggering a familiar moment of panic experienced by many. “How is this still happening, and how are we expected to live with it?” she said. “How has the destruction of homes, the displacement of families, and living in constant fear become our new ‘normal’?”

In the Kfar Tebnit attack earlier this week, families who had just settled after previous displacement now find themselves once again without safe shelter, access to basic services, or a sense of stability. Each new incident compounds existing humanitarian needs and places growing strain on communities’ mental health and resilience. MSF teams remain present on the ground — responding to urgent humanitarian needs while raising the alarm about the human cost of repeated attacks on civilian areas.

First Measles Vaccination Campaign in El Geneina Since 2021

“This was an urgent response to the surge in measles cases in El Geneina. In the period leading up to the vaccination campaign, we received around 130 cases per week in the measles isolation ward at El Geneina Teaching Hospital. From November 2025 to the end of January 2026, we treated a total of 778 measles cases.”

These are the words of Dr. Ali Daoud, MSF’s deputy medical coordinator, on the final day of the measles vaccination campaign in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state. The campaign, carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and other health partners, ran from January 25 to 30. During these six days, more than 174,000 children between the ages of 9 months and 15 years were vaccinated, making up 94% of those targeted.

This marked the first measles vaccination campaign in El Geneina locality since 2021. Measles disease is highly contagious and can be fatal if not prevented or treated early, so sustained access to routine immunization is crucial.

“It’s important for other children to get the vaccine to protect themselves from the disease. The injection does not hurt. Afterwards, I can go home, pray, and study. Measles can be deadly, especially for children,” says Khalid, 14, who encouraged his cousin to join him and his siblings at one of the vaccination sites.

Community mobilization at the heart of the campaign

Community engagement played a central role in achieving high coverage. Over 1,400 community volunteers were mobilized, trained, and deployed by MSF throughout the campaign to support with the activities at over 200 vaccination sites in El Geneina. Mobile teams and vehicle-mounted public address systems were used to raise awareness: sharing vaccination schedules and encouraging families to bring their children in for vaccination.

“Delivering this vital campaign required strong community engagement as well as significant logistical support and coordination,” said Abdalhalim Ishag, MSF logistics base at El Geneina Teaching Hospital. “To reach over 200 vaccination sites in El Geneina, we mobilized resources to cover remote and hard-to-reach areas.”

“I first felt scared, but the injection didn’t hurt. I have not seen anyone with measles before, but I know you can’t play if you get sick. The vaccine will protect me and my family,” Ten-year-old Mawa attended a vaccination site with her four brothers said.

This is not the first time that our teams have supported the state Ministry of Health in responding to an increase in measles cases in West Darfur state. In mid-2025, a mass coverage campaign was conducted in Foro Baranga locality, which is a rural area in the south of this state.

For many people, survival is not only about escaping violence. It is also about surviving diseases such as measles, whose spread is driven by multiple factors, including displacement, overcrowding, limited access to healthcare, gaps in routine vaccination, and fragile disease surveillance systems.

“Moving forward, MSF continues to call on the Ministry of Health and health actors to strengthen the availability and accessibility of routine vaccination services across Darfur,” says Dr. Ali.

“Sustained vaccination services are essential to prevent recurrent of measles cases and protecting children, not only in West Darfur but also in all of Sudan.”

Displaced and Forgotten: Harsh Winter in Northwest Syria

Shadhan, 6 years old, he sits on the bags of heating materials distributed by MSF in Idlib

Displaced and Forgotten: Harsh Winter in Northwest Syria

Fourteen Years of War and Ongoing Displacement in Northwest Syria

In Syria, despite the end of the war, people continue to live with the heavy legacy of fourteen years of brutal conflict. Years of aerial attacks and protracted hostilities, including in rural areas around Homs, Hama, Aleppo, and Idlib, have destroyed homes and essential infrastructure, left countless families with no choice but to flee. Many families sought shelters in the mountains, where harsh winters added to their daily struggle. What began as emergency displacement camps turned into a fragile, long-term living area.

Homes Destroyed, Lives Uprooted

If millions of people have been able to return home, many displaced families remain in camps as they often don’t have the financial capacity to rebuild their lives. Their houses in their hometowns have been completely destroyed; basic services are absent and livelihood opportunities are scarce, leaving people dependent on humanitarian assistance that has steadily declined over the past couple of years.

Despite huge needs remaining in Syria, the country has witnessed a decrease in humanitarian funding. MSF urges humanitarian organisations to step up their response, including for people who are still displaced and struggling to survive.

From Emergency Shelters to Long-Term Fragility

The winter months are particularly dangerous, and without sustained aid, people will continue to face life-threatening conditions.

Um Ayman, 75, grieves the destruction of her olive farm.
“I returned home after the shelling to find my house levelled to the ground. I did not grieve for my home as much as I grieved for my olive trees. I grew olives and oranges on my land, and everything was gone.”

Winter Turns Displacement Into a Life-Threatening Crisis in Northwest Syria

Across the Harim mountains and around the town of Salqin in Idlib province, more than 50 displacement camps are still sheltering thousands of families, many living in makeshift homes made from salvaged materials or bricks.

Cold, Snow, and Unsafe Shelters

During winter storms, water seeps into tents, snow piles up between shelters, and families struggle to stay warm. When temperatures drop, heating becomes a necessity, not a comfort. Roofs are often unstable, offering little protection against snow, rain, and freezing cold.

“When the Snow Started Falling, the Roof Collapsed”

Um Ali, a mother of three, lives in Al Fardan camp:
“When the snow started falling, the plastic-sheet roof collapsed. We were unable to remove the snow because we live in a mountainous area.”

Declining Aid Leaves Displaced Families in Northwest Syria Forgotten

Initially, humanitarian organisations rushed to provide emergency support, but over time, the amount of aid provided has reduced. Today, many displaced families are largely left to manage on their own, with only limited assistance. Makeshift shelters deteriorate with each passing season, and families must gather whatever materials they can find to keep their homes standing.

Forgotten After the Cameras Left

Abu Musa, a resident of one of the camps, recalls: “It’s been one year and few months since we last received assistance from humanitarian organisations; after the liberation, no one provided any kind of support to people living in the camps here.”

Humanitarian needs are immense and growing. Families lack access to adequate food, healthcare, winter clothing, blankets, and medicines. Some camps have small clinics, but supplies are limited, and services are paid, putting essential care out of reach for many.

MSF’s Winter Response for Displaced Families in Northwest Syria

In Idlib governorate, Médecins Sans Frontières/ Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has been providing support to displaced families.

Emergency Winter Aid in Idlib Camps

Between December and February, MSF teams have distributed heating materials (around 600 tons of bering) and plastic sheets to 2,000 families across 21 camps. A further 1,400 mattresses, 4,200 blankets, and hygiene and cooking kits have been distributed to 700 families in camps near Salqin and in the Harim mountains, and 150 families received tents in Armanaz, in rural Idlib. These distributions aim to help families endure the harsh winter months and reduce immediate risks linked to exposure to the cold. Yet the gap between needs and assistance remains enormous.

Osama Joukhadar, MSF logistics manager, explains:
“People here are living in extremely fragile shelters. They are exposed to the cold, wind, and snow. Every winter, families struggle just to survive. We are trying to provide basic support, small but essential help to assist families get through the cold months.”

Displacement and Winter Hardship Across Syria

In Daraa and Rural Damascus governorates, in southern Syria, MSF distributed around 3,000 heaters, plus mattresses and blankets, between November and February, to support displaced families who remain exposed to extreme weather, unsafe living conditions, and prolonged uncertainty. In Qamishli and Derik/Al-Malikiyah, northeast Syria, MSF responded to the needs of recently displaced people, who were forced to leave their homes in Tabqa, Raqqa and Al-Hassakeh under relentless rain and cold temperatures.

The story of Syria’s displaced people is a reminder that the war may have faded from headlines, but its human consequences remain urgent and unresolved.

Beyond medical action: a decade of solidarity

Beyond medical action: a decade of solidarity

After operating a standalone clinic in Bourj El-Barajneh camp for ten years, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has concluded its provision of healthcare in the clinic by December 2025. During the years, medical activities took many shapes, focusing on sexual and reproductive healthcare, vaccinations for children, care for non-communicable diseases, and mental healthcare.

Located in southern Beirut, Bourj El-Barajneh camp was established for Palestinian refugees in 1948. Since then, and despite it being already densely populated, it has hosted Syrian refugees who fled the war that started in 2011, migrant workers who have limited resources, and many others who have nowhere else to go.

For the last four years of activities, Mohammad Hazineh welcomed patients into the clinic and directed them to the relevant department with a smile. He is originally a Palestinian refugee in Syria. In 2011, his house in Al-Yarmouk camp in Damascus was bombed, so he decided to move to Lebanon and chose Bourj El-Barajneh camp as his home.

“Endings are inherently sad. We might be saying goodbye to this clinic, but not to the people it blessed us with or the things it taught us,” he says. “Although I feel like a guest in the camp, I was treated equally in the clinic, which made me feel special.”

Over the years, the clinic witnessed many tears: children in pain of jabs protecting them against a range of preventable diseases, and men who just needed someone to listen to them.

Smiles and laughter also filled the air: parents learned that their children’s non-communicable diseases are manageable, women found out they’re pregnant for the first time, and people were reminded that they are worthy. The clinic was a safe space where feelings were validated and differences were celebrated.

“I’m very proud to have worked in this clinic. It was always full of humanity,” says Mohammad Hazineh, MSF crowd controller. “I’ve worked with people from various nationalities over the years, which mirrored the diversity of our patients and the residents of the camp. Working with MSF gave me a new outlook on the future. It made me hopeful.”

Mohammad Dabdoub is a Palestinian born and raised in Bourj El-Barajneh camp. He considers the camp to be a miniature of Palestine in diaspora. Through his nine-year journey with MSF, and his work as a liaison officer, he was the connection between MSF and the society in the camp. He raised awareness of MSF’s activities and established trust in the community.

“What I value the most is that our activities were never limited to the clinic,” he says. We managed to support organisations like the Civil Defense and The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, thus serving the community in the camp to the best of our abilities.”

The clinic closure comes as part of MSF’s strategy for the upcoming period of supporting existing health facilities providing similar services to the community. MSF aims to continue supporting the community in Bourj El-Barajneh camp.

“People in the camp needed medication just as much as they needed someone to stand by them,” says Mohammad Dabdoub. “Our activities went beyond medical action. They represented a decade of solidarity.”

Addressing FAQs and allegations about MSF’s work in Gaza

An MSF vehicle is parked outside Al Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City, amidst the rubble and destruction in the area. The photo, taken from the hospital’s entrance, looks out onto the street.

Addressing FAQs and allegations about MSF’s work in Gaza

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides a vast amount of critical healthcare in Gaza, Palestine, yet even this is not enough to meet people’s overwhelming needs. Israel is now taking steps to stop the work of 37 NGOs, including MSF, in Gaza and the West Bank, by threatening to withhold registration. This comes on top of the intimidation, pressure, and smear campaigns that we and other aid organisations have faced from Israeli authorities while working in, and speaking out about, Gaza and the West Bank. Below, MSF responds to frequently asked questions about the reality of our work on the ground and our ongoing assessments about the registration process to continue working in Palestine.

What is MSF’s response to accusations by Israeli authorities that its medical work in Gaza is not significant or needed?

In 2025 alone, MSF teams handled over 100,000 trauma cases; managed the care for over 400 hospital beds; performed 22,700 surgical operations on nearly 10,000 patients; carried out almost 800,000 outpatient consultations; administered 45,000 vaccinations; assisted in more than 10,000 births; provided more than 40,000 individual mental health sessions and group sessions for over 60,000 people; distributed more than 700 million litres of water and produced nearly 100 million litres of clean water. Many of the services provided by MSF are largely unavailable elsewhere in Gaza due to the destruction of the health system.

As of 1 January 2026, MSF’s registration is no longer valid, and we will be required to cease operations by 1 March 2026. If MSF loses access to Gaza, hundreds of thousands of people will lose access to critical medical care and water. MSF’s vital work serves nearly half a million people in Gaza.

In Gaza, MSF is currently supporting six public hospitals and running two field hospitals. We also support seven general healthcare centres and run an inpatient feeding centre for people with malnutrition. MSF has recently opened six new medical points where we provide wound care and other general healthcare services.

MSF has been working in Palestine since 1988.

Is it true that MSF has not cooperated with Israel?

For many months, MSF has unsuccessfully sought dialogue with the Israeli authorities on the renewal of our registration to work in Palestine. We remain open to dialogue with the Israeli authorities to maintain our critical medical operations in Gaza and the West Bank and to ensure that MSF can continue delivering essential, lifesaving medical care to people in desperate need, whilst safeguarding our teams. We would consult our Palestinian colleagues on any possible next step.

By accusing MSF, as well as other NGOs, of not cooperating and creating smear campaigns against aid organisations, Israel is using unfounded allegations to arbitrarily restrict access to critical care for Palestinians and limit witnessing from independent organisations working on the ground. This type of accusation contributes to the delegitimisation of humanitarian workers who are delivering vital care and services under extremely challenging conditions.

We observe that such accusations fit within a long-standing pattern used by Israeli authorities, alongside numerous physical and bureaucratic obstacles, to restrict the entry and delivery of aid into Gaza. Similar tactics were used in 2024 against UNRWA. Allegations are used to justify actions which stand in clear contradiction to the Israeli government’s claims that it is facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip.

What is the status of MSF’s registration to operate in Gaza and the West Bank?

As of the 1 January 2026, MSF’s registration to work in Gaza and the West Bank has expired and is therefore no longer valid. As such, we are required to cease operations by 1 March 2026.

We are seeking avenues to ensure that our humanitarian response continues in Gaza and the West Bank. We are also engaging with the Israeli authorities to ensure we can continue our activities, the prevention of which is a direct violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2720 - which calls for the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians.

For 2026, MSF has committed an estimated 100-120 million euros for our humanitarian response in Gaza.

What is the actual impact of MSF’s expired registration?

MSF remains fully operational in Gaza and the West Bank and continues to deliver critical medical care. However, as MSF’s registration in Israel expired on 31 December 2025, we are no longer authorised to import supplies or have international staff enter into Gaza. This deprives our medical teams of much-needed materials and technical skills.

We remain committed to providing assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and call on the Israeli authorities to reverse their decision about our registration and to put in place acceptable operating conditions, including guarantees for the safety of MSF staff and patients.

Is it true that MSF considered providing a defined staff list to Israel?

In an effort to explore every possible option – however limited – to continue providing critical medical care, MSF informed Israeli authorities on 23 January that, as an exceptional measure, MSF would be prepared to share a defined list of Palestinian and international staff names, subject to clear parameters, with our staff safety at its core. This position was defined following consultation with our Palestinian colleagues and with the clear understanding no staff information would be shared without the express agreement of individuals concerned.

However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required. These included that any staff information would be used only for its stated administrative purpose and would not put colleagues at risk; that MSF would retain full authority over all human resource matters and management of medical humanitarian supplies, and that all communications defaming MSF and undermining staff safety would cease.

As a result, and in the absence of these clear assurances, we have concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances. MSF remains open to ongoing dialogue with the Israeli authorities to maintain our critical medical operations in Gaza and the West Bank and to ensure that MSF can continue delivering essential, lifesaving medical care to people in desperate need.

Did MSF provide Israel with a staff list at any time?

No, we have not at any moment handed over any list of our national or international staff to Israeli authorities as part of this registration process.

Why did MSF consider sharing a defined staff list with Israel?

Expelling MSF, alongside dozens of other humanitarian organisations, would deprive hundreds of thousands of people of essential medical care. MSF is one of the few international organisations able to witness and denounce the ongoing genocide and if we are forced to leave, we will lose this ability.

Israeli authorities have forced humanitarian organisations including MSF into an impossible choice – between sharing information about our staff or interrupting critical medical care in a context of staggering humanitarian needs and extreme violence against health workers.

Facing the imminent threat of the closure of our projects, MSF wanted to explore all possible chances to continue providing medical care in Gaza and the West Bank. As such, we wrote to the Israeli authorities explaining that as an exceptional measure, under exceptional circumstances, we would be prepared to provide a defined staff list subject to clear parameters with staff safety at its core.

We did not share the personal details of any of our colleagues. Despite repeated efforts, it became evident that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required. As a result, and in the absence of these clear assurances, we have concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances.

How did MSF consult with Palestinian staff on Israel’s request for a staff list?

This process included dialogue across teams and most critically with our Palestinian colleagues, taking into account their perspectives and concerns, including with respect to their personal safety and the consequences of MSF’s potential withdrawal.

Throughout, we stressed that no information would be shared without the agreement of the individual concerned, and no pressure should be put on anyone regarding decisions affecting MSF’s continuation of operations in Gaza and the West Bank. It was emphasised that not participating would not impact people’s employment with MSF.

We used several channels to gather staff feedback, including focus-group discussions, one-to-one conversations, surveys, and town-hall style exchanges. In these discussions, our colleagues voiced a wide range of concerns, including safety risks, and uncertainty about the implications for our humanitarian principles. Some were worried about possible repercussions of sharing their details, while others questioned whether complying would lead to registration or yet further demands.

How can staff give consent in this environment?

We recognise the limitations and difficulty for our Palestinian colleagues to provide proper informed consent in this environment of coercion imposed by the Israeli authorities. Israel knowingly gave MSF and our Palestinian colleagues an impossible choice; either we provide information about our colleagues or risk being forced to abandon the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who need vital medical care. The lack of assurances from the Israeli authorities also makes it impossible for our staff to know what they would be accepting, should they provide their names.

Despite the challenges of consent, it was not possible or acceptable, to make any decisions without discussing with our Palestinian colleagues. What was conducted was a consultation, not a transfer of institutional responsibility. The intention was never to ask our colleagues to carry the weight of an unbearable decision, but to ensure we heard their views on a question that is existential for their safety and work.

Are you paying compensation to the families of MSF staff members who have been killed by Israeli forces?

Yes, we are offering financial support to all the families of MSF staff members who have been killed by Israeli forces. We are in touch with all the families to support them, including by providing legal and financial support and health coverage for dependents, and we will continue to do so.

Israeli authorities claim that MSF staff have links to terrorism. How does MSF respond to this?

MSF takes these allegations seriously. MSF would never knowingly employ people engaging in military activity. Any employee with links to an armed group would pose a serious risk to our staff and to our patients. For this reason, wherever we operate, all MSF staff are required to commit to the MSF Charter, which includes strict adherence to humanitarian principles, independence, and medical ethics.

Recruitment procedures include rigorous due diligence, background and reference checks, CV verification, and probationary periods. MSF has implemented an enhanced screening and vetting process for all staff recruited in this context. As everywhere else, MSF operates strictly in accordance with the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, providing medical care based on need alone, irrespective of political authority or affiliation. Our support to the health system in Gaza is purely humanitarian and in no way ideological.

Is it true that MSF has a relationship with Hamas in Gaza?

MSF works with the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is part of the Hamas Civilian Administration. The current smear campaign against aid organisations by Israeli authorities' states that “MSF shares information with a terrorist organisation”, when in fact coordinating with medical authorities is standard practice in any place where we operate. These smear tactics attempt to distract attention away from the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground. As everywhere, MSF operates strictly in accordance with the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence, providing medical care based on need alone, irrespective of political authority or affiliation.

What is MSF’s response to the allegation that aid does not reach people in need, but is instead taken by Hamas?

Our operations are independent, transparent, and strictly monitored. A USAID review found no evidence of widescale diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas in Gaza. Senior Israeli army officers have also acknowledged that there is no evidence of systematic widescale diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas in Gaza.

From the beginning of this war, the number of trucks carrying medicine, food, and water which have crossed the borders into Gaza have been entirely insufficient, in comparison to the scale of destruction and need. During the past two years, we have communicated and documented the ways in which Gaza’s supply chain of humanitarian aid has been effectively choked by Israeli authorities. Lengthy bureaucratic procedures and “dual-use items” lists have been put in place. The “dual-use item” prohibition is why some items have not been allowed to enter Gaza, including scalpels and oxygen generators.

Why does MSF condemn Israel but not Hamas?

We were horrified by the mass killing of 1,200 people in Israel by Hamas, and we unequivocally condemn those attacks. We are horrified by the spiral of violence and the tragedies on both sides. Our communications are driven by what our medical teams see on the ground and their work in the medical facilities we support. Hence, we have been speaking out about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We speak out when we witness unacceptable suffering, attacks on healthcare facilities, the denial of access to healthcare facilities, and when warring parties fail to protect civilians.

Have MSF teams treated any hostages or does MSF call for their release?

Throughout our activities in Gaza since 7 October 2023, we have never encountered a patient who was presented as being among the hostages. Our work as medics is to provide healthcare to anyone who needs it – any patient is a patient. It is a fundamental principle of medical ethics to provide medical care in the best interest of any patient. We feel for the suffering endured by those who were taken hostage on 7 October 2023, as well as the anguish of their loved ones. Not only since October 2023 but in all contexts and in any situation of conflict, MSF calls for the protection of civilians.

How does MSF respond to accusations regarding its lack of neutrality?

United under a single charter, MSF teams bring together health professionals, logisticians, and administrative staff from dozens of nationalities, both international and locally employed colleagues. After assessing the needs of affected communities, we provide assistance in accordance with medical ethics and the principles of humanitarian action.

Impartiality is the cornerstone of MSF’s’ mission. We deliver aid without discrimination, prioritising those most immediately at risk. MSF operates with a spirit of neutrality and does not take sides in armed conflicts. However, we may publicly denounce and criticise obstacles to our humanitarian work and violations of international law.

In conflict situations, MSF bears witness to the plight of victims, particularly civilians, and in this respect, we are outspoken.

Our teams report what they see with their own eyes, and what they themselves experience, in Gaza and the West Bank. Numerous observers, legal experts, human rights organisations, and several United Nations reports also describe the total destruction of the Gaza Strip. This includes Israel’s dismantling of the health system, siege imposed on the territory, disregard for civilians and civilian infrastructure, and man-made famine, which are all part of a genocidal campaign.

MSF statement on sharing staff information and humanitarian operations in Palestine

The logistics team evacuates beds and medical furniture.

MSF statement on sharing staff information and humanitarian operations in Palestine

30 January 2026: Following many months of unsuccessful engagement with Israeli authorities, and in the absence of securing assurances to ensure the safety of our staff or the independent management of our operations, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has concluded that it will not share a list of its Palestinian and international staff with Israeli authorities in the current circumstances.

In March 2025, Israeli authorities announced that organisations seeking registration would be required to provide personal information about their staff. From the outset, MSF raised serious concerns about this request in a context where medical and humanitarian workers have been intimidated, arbitrarily detained, and attacked. Since October 2023, 1,700 health staff have been killed, as well as 15 MSF colleagues. On 30 December, Israeli authorities announced that MSF’s previous registration had lapsed and was therefore expected to cease operations within 60 days.

However, despite repeated efforts, it became evident in recent days that we were unable to build engagement with Israeli authorities on the concrete assurances required. These included that any staff information would be used only for its stated administrative purpose and would not put colleagues at risk; that MSF would retain full authority over all human resource matters and management of medical humanitarian supplies, and that all communications defaming MSF and undermining staff safety would cease.

As a result, and in the absence of these clear assurances, we have concluded that we will not share staff information in the current circumstances. No staff information has been shared with the Israeli authorities in this process.

In the midst of the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and extreme violence against healthcare workers, Israeli authorities are forcing humanitarian organisations into an impossible choice – forced to choose between sharing this information about our staff or interrupting critical medical care.

If MSF is expelled from Gaza and the West Bank it would have a devastating impact, as Palestinians face a brutal winter amidst destroyed homes and urgent humanitarian needs. Humanitarian conditions remain extreme: nearly 500 people have been killed since October, basic services including food, water, shelter, healthcare, fuel, and livelihoods have been largely destroyed, and the health system is nearly non-functional, with many specialised services, such as burn care, unavailable. In 2025, MSF provided 800,000 consultations, assisted in one in three births, and supported one in five hospital beds – services that cannot be easily replaced.

MSF remains open to ongoing dialogue with Israeli authorities to maintain our critical medical operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and to ensure that MSF can continue delivering essential, lifesaving medical care to those in desperate need.

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