22 killed, 33 still missing after Afghan hospital run by M?decins Sans Fronti?res (Doctors Without Borders) hit in U.S. airstrike

[Emily]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...stan/73271370/

19 killed after Afghan hospital hit in suspected U.S. airstrike

Katharine Lackey and Richard Wolf, USA TODAY 3:57 p.m. EDT October 3, 2015

http://www.msf.org/article/afghanist...ospital-kunduz

Afghanistan: MSF demands explanations after deadly airstrikes hit hospital in Kunduz

3 October 2015


Kabul/Brussels ? The international medical organisation M?decins Sans Fronti?res (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 Programmes 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 29 September, 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 theatre 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.?...

What is the explanation for this horror?

 

[Pathfinder]

Carter: Full Investigation Underway Into ?Tragic? Kunduz Airstrike

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, October 3, 2015 ? A full investigation is underway in coordination with Afghanistan?s government to ?determine exactly what happened? when a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, came under fire, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today.

Army Col. Brian Tribus, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement that U.S. forces conducted an airstrike in Kunduz at 2:15 a.m. local time today ?against individuals threatening the force,? and that the strike ?may have caused collateral damage to a nearby medical facility.?

'A Tragic Incident'

In a statement on what he called ?a tragic incident,? Carter noted that the area has been the scene of intense fighting over the last few days. U.S. forces in support of Afghan security forces were operating nearby, as were Taliban fighters, he said.

?While we are still trying to determine exactly what happened, I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to everyone affected,? Carter said, adding that the United States will continue to work with its Afghan partners toward ending the ongoing violence in and around Kunduz.

http://www.defense.gov/News-Article...igation-underway-into-tragic-kunduz-airstrike

 

[sharon sanders]

From: WorldHealthOrganizationNews@who.int
To: undisclosed-recipients@null, null@null
Subject: WHO deplores bombing of MSF clinic in Kunduz
Date: Oct 3, 2015 2:50 PM
[TABLE="class: msgbody, border: 0, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0"]
[TR]
[TD]WHO deplores bombing of MSF clinic in Kunduz


GENEVA - The World Health Organization (WHO) deplores the bombing of a clinic run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Kunduz, Afghanistan, and extends its sincere condolences to the families and colleagues of those killed and injured. This represents a major loss for MSF and the affected community - to whom WHO offers its sympathy and support - and a serious challenge to humanitarian work in Afghanistan.

WHO once again urges all parties in the conflict to respect the safety and neutrality of health workers and health facilities. Tragedies like this can and should be avoided, by warring parties consistently observing International Humanitarian Law and taking all necessary precautionary measures.

In 2014, governments agreed on a landmark resolution at the United Nations General Assembly, urging States to take urgent steps to ensure that health workers in all countries are protected from violence, whether in armed conflict or in times of peace.

Health workers continue, however, to face mounting threats, particularly in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

WHO calls on all governments and military officers to observe their obligations under international law and to ensure the protection of health services in conflict – a time when they are most needed.


Journalists, for more information please contact:

Gregory H?rtl
WHO Spokesperson
Mobile: +41 79 203 6715
Email: hartlg@who.int[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[Pathfinder]

Afghanistan: UN strongly condemns 'tragic, inexcusable' Kunduz hospital airstrike

3 October 2015 ? Senior United Nations officials today condemned what they called a ?tragic? and ?inexcusable? air strike on the M?decins sans Fronti?res (MSF) hospital in Kunduz, a city in northern Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of medical personnel, patients and other civilians.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Ban Ki moon strongly condemned the airstrikes in Kunduz early this morning that resulted in the death and injury of medical workers and patients at a the MSF hospital on 3 October.

?The Secretary-General recalls that hospitals and medical personnel are explicitly protected under international humanitarian law,? said the statement adding the Mr. Ban calls for a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack in order to ensure accountability.

M?decins Sans Fronti?res have been operating the only hospital in Kunduz under extremely trying conditions, the statement continued, noting that the UN chief commends the courageous and dedicated staff of the organization and extends his deepest sympathies to the families of those killed and injured in this attack.

A news update from Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, emphasized that hospitals accommodating patients and medical personnel ?may never be the object of attack,? and noted that international humanitarian law also prohibits the use of medical facilities for military purposes.

Mr. Haysom commended M?decins sans Fronti?res for its work, and expressed condolences to the medical personnel, their patients, family and friends.

?I reiterate my call on all parties to the conflict to respect and protect medical and humanitarian personnel and facilities,? the UN envoy added.

Meanwhile, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Mark Bowden, said he is ?deeply concerned? for the MSF staff and their patients, and the loss suffered by the people of Kunduz. ?The civilian population is now facing a further acute situation, finding themselves cut off from vital medical support,? he warned.

From Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said there must be a swift, full and transparent investigation into the airstrikes that hit the clinic.

?This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable, and possibly even criminal,? Mr. Zeid said in a news release. ?International and Afghan military planners have an obligation to respect and protect civilians at all times, and medical facilities and personnel are the object of a special protection. These obligations apply no matter whose air force is involved, and irrespective of the location."

According to MSF, pro-Government forces had been informed of the precise location of the medical facilities. While it has yet to be established whether or not the hospital or immediate surroundings were the target of the attack, or were recklessly endangered by it, airstrikes reportedly continued to hit the area for a further 30 minutes after pro-Government forces were informed they were endangering a medical facility.

According to the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR), a United States spokesperson has reportedly been quoted saying US planes were carrying out airstrikes at around the time the hospital was hit.

The UN Human Rights chief said it was essential to ensure any inquiry was independent, impartial, transparent and effective. ?This deeply shocking event should be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated and the results should be made public," he said.

"The seriousness of the incident is underlined by the fact that, if established as deliberate in a court of law, an airstrike on a hospital may amount to a war crime," he explained.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=52164#.VhBmzflViko

 

[Emily]

Is an investigation even needed with admissions like this?

http://news.sky.com/story/1563498/pa...fter-bombs-hit

'Patients Burned In Their Beds' After Bombs Hit

An MSF nurse who was in an Afghanistan hospital when it was hit by a series of airstrikes, killing 19 people, recounts the horror. 06:30, UK, Sunday 04 October 2015
...
Afghan's Interior Ministry said there were "10 to 15 terrorists" hiding in the building, which is why it was targeted.

http://wgntv.com/2015/10/03/nine-dea...ghan-hospital/

3 children among 16 dead in bombing of Afghan hospital

Posted 7:39 AM, October 3, 2015, by Associated Press, Updated at 12:02pm, October 3, 2015
...
Doctors Without Borders said its trauma center “was hit several times during sustained bombing and was very badly damaged.” At the time of the bombing, the hospital had 105 patients and their caretakers, and more than 80 international and Afghan staff, it said.
Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said 10 to 15 “terrorists” had been hiding in the hospital at the time of the strike. “All of the terrorists were killed but we also lost doctors,” he told a press conference. He said 80 staff at the hospital, including 15 foreigners, had been taken to safety...

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying there were no Taliban fighters in the hospital at the time of the bombing. It accused Afghanistan’s intelligence service of misdirecting the airstrike to purposefully hit the hospital.

I'll trust MSF any day over either Afghan intelligence or the Taliban. They, (MSF), reported their location and should not have been bombed, period.

 

[Emily]

http://www.msf.org/topics/kunduz-hospital-airstrike

[h=3]MSF Rejects statements by Afghanistan authorities[/h] "MSF is disgusted by the recent statements coming from some Afghanistan government authorities justifying the attack on its hospital in Kunduz. These statements imply that Afghan and US forces working together decided to raze to the ground a fully functioning hospital ? with more than 180 staff and patients inside ? because they claim that members of the Taliban were present.
This amounts to an admission of a war crime.
This utterly contradicts the initial attempts of the US government to minimise the attack as 'collateral damage'. There can be no justification for this abhorrent attack on our hospital that resulted in the deaths of MSF staff as they worked and patients as they lay in their beds.
MSF reiterates its demand for a full transparent and independent international investigation." ? Christopher Stokes, General Director, M?decins Sans Fronti?res

http://www.msf.org/article/factsheet-kunduz-hospital-attack

[h=1]Factsheet: Kunduz Hospital Attack[/h] 7 October 2015

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/07/us-afghanistan-attack-msf-idUSKCN0S10SX20151007

[h=1]Obama apologizes for Kunduz attack, MSF demands independent probe[/h] WASHINGTON/GENEVA | By Roberta Rampton and Stephanie Nebehay

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/w...rs-without-borders-airstrike-kunduz.html?_r=0

[h=1]General Is Said to Think Afghan Hospital Airstrike Broke U.S. Rules[/h] By ERIC SCHMITT and MATTHEW ROSENBERGOCT. 6, 2015

WASHINGTON ? The American commander in Afghanistan now believes that United States troops probably did not follow their own rules in calling in the airstrike that decimated a Doctors Without Borders hospital when no American and Afghan troops were in extreme danger, according to officials with direct knowledge of the general?s thinking...