The international medical organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific aerial bombing of its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Twelve staff members and at least seven patients, including three children, were killed; 37 people were injured including 19 staff members. This attack constitutes a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law. All indications currently point to the bombing being carried out by international Coalition forces. MSF demands a full and transparent account from the Coalition regarding its aerial bombing activities over Kunduz on Saturday morning. MSF also calls for an independent investigation of the attack to ensure maximum transparency and accountability. “This attack is abhorrent and a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law,†said Meinie Nicolai, MSF President. “We demand total transparency from Coalition forces. We cannot accept that this horrific loss of life will simply be dismissed as ‘collateral damage'.†From 2:08 AM until 3:15 AM local time today, MSF's trauma hospital in Kunduz was hit by a series of aerial bombing raids at approximately 15 minute intervals. The main central hospital building, housing the intensive care unit, emergency rooms, and physiotherapy ward, was repeatedly hit very precisely during each aerial raid, while surrounding buildings were left mostly untouched. “The bombs hit and then we heard the plane circle round,†said Heman Nagarathnam, MSF head of programs in northern Afghanistan. “There was a pause, and then more bombs hit. This happened again and again. When I made it out from the office, the main hospital building was engulfed in flames. Those people that could had moved quickly to the building's two bunkers to seek safety. But patients who were unable to escape burned to death as they lay in their beds.†The bombing took place despite the fact that MSF had provided the GPS coordinates of the trauma hospital to Coalition and Afghan military and civilian officials as recently as Tuesday, September 29, to avoid that the hospital be hit. As is routine practice for MSF in conflict areas, MSF had communicated the exact location of the hospital to all parties to the conflict. In the aftermath of the attack, the MSF team desperately tried to save the lives of wounded colleagues and patients, setting up a makeshift operating theater in an undamaged room. Some of the most critically injured patients were transferred to a hospital in Puli Khumri, a two hour drive away. “Besides resulting in the deaths of our colleagues and patients, this attack has cut off access to urgent trauma care for the population in Kunduz at a time when its services are most needed,†said Nicolai. “Once again, we call on all warring parties to respect civilians, health facilities, and medical staff, according to International Humanitarian Law.†Since fighting broke out on Monday, MSF had treated 394 wounded. At the time of the aerial attack there were 105 patients and their caretakers in the hospital, alongside more than 80 international and national MSF staff. MSF expresses its sincere condolences to the families and friends of its staff members and patients who have tragically lost their lives in this attack. \tMSF's hospital is the only facility of its kind in the north-eastern region of Afghanistan. For four years it has been providing free high level life- and limb-saving trauma care. In 2014, more than 22,000 patients received care at the hospital and more than 5,900 surgeries were performed. MSF treats all people according to their medical needs and does not make any distinctions based on a patient's ethnicity, religious beliefs or political affiliation. From the MSF/DWB website. http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/article/afgha... http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/03/three... I don't see how the US can deny this was an accident. Even if it was, deaths still occurred and consequences need to be had. Collateral damage is not good enough. Thoughts?
The US is a bunch of bullies, not sure of the real reason behind these bombing but I would bet it has something to do with the Afghani (AFN). Much love to the effected families, stay strong! You guys can get through it. And to the US goverment....you wonder why terrorist groups want to target you guys....for the sake of the US citizens, GET THE FUCK OUT OF AFGHANISTAN!!!!
Let the taliban and Isis have these despots if they want them so badly. We've wasted enough money, blood, and killed enough innocents to keep going down the same path.
We know a lady whose son has worked, in the past, as a relief doctor in Afghanistan, but i don't know if he still does. I'll find out later. The city where this happened was under siege by the Taliban, their biggest victory, militarily, in 15 years. We don't know what went wrong but obviously the bombing of this hospital was a mistake, if the U.S. is responsible. I don't think that we should be there anymore, but if we go the bloodshed will increase so I'm at a loss to say what is best. It's a very sad, and dangerous, situation, whatever happens.
Someday Washington will get its comeuppance. Meanwhile, we wonder why there is such a lack of respect for life in this country.
And people wonder why they grow up to hate us and want to fly planes into our buildings 'Hate us for our freedoms Merica!', what a crock of shit.
It was hilarious all the general rushed to say that what happened was a tragedy, but that it's just what happens in war, as if that was a valid excuse for slaughtering 19 people. They then claim that all of the Afghanis still want them there and desperately need them and how we should get even more involved. The most insulting part was they said something along the lines of my prayers and thoughts go out to their family members. It's like their family members don't want your prayers they want you to stop dropping bombs on innocent people. These guys will never fucking learn.
According to pentagon it was the Afghan army tht asked for air strikes The big Q is did either the afghan defense or American air force have one of those new things called... ummm.. A FUCKING MAP? whatever doctors r a dime a dozen, right?
Edit:I mean they should know the locations of all hospitals, UN sights and civilian areas beforehand and the afghan military has proven themselves to be incompetent once again after losing territory to the tslibans. and where the fuck do talibans keep finding new ppl. It's not like foreign volunteers r joining them