Medecins Sans Frontieres

About MSF UK

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was born in the early 1970s out of the exasperation of a group of French doctors who worked in desperate conditions in the Biafra War (1967-1970). They were determined to create a movement to deliver independent humanitarian aid wherever it was needed, and particularly one that would speak out about the plight of the victims it helped.

Thirty years later, MSF is now an international medical aid agency with a reputation of not only being the first to arrive in a crisis-hit area, but often, the only organisation to be there at all. The movement was awarded the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize.

MSF provides assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict. MSF relies on donations from the public for two key reasons: to ensure the freedom to provide humanitarian assistance whenever and wherever it is needed, and to remain independent from political, religious and economic interests.

Your help is as valuable to MSF as that given by our field volunteers - without it our work would be impossible. Your support demonstrates solidarity with the people MSF helps:
"When someone points a gun at you and asks 'who sent you?' I can answer that it was people who care. This can mean the difference between life and death," MSF logistics specialist Steve Hide.

Thank you for your kind support of our work.


Registered Charity No. 1026588.

To learn more about our work take a look at our website.