May 27, 17:10 in a world far from vaccines

Conflicts and civil wars continue around the world even though the spread of the new coronavirus has not stopped.

There are people who rush to and support people who do not even receive basic medical care, let alone vaccines.

"Doctors Without Borders" continues to work to solve problems by witnessing not only medical activities but also the situations they have seen and heard in the field and appealing to the world.

In the midst of the corona wreck, we covered the forefront of activities that are becoming even more severe.

(Video Center Photographer Takaya Kawasaki)

Only one surgeon in conflict

South Sudan in Africa is said to have been displaced by protracted conflicts and turmoil, where about one-third of all people live.

Bentiu in the north is home to the country's largest refugee camp, which attracts 97,000 people.

Yuhei Nakano (34) provides medical support as a surgeon here.

Refugee camp with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius during the day.

Patients are constantly brought to the hospital of Doctors Without Borders in the corner every day.

Dr. Nakano

"People who are stabbed and injured are brought in every day, and some are shot by guns. In this country, the war has just ended and the law and police are not working. Even if there is, if you do it, you have to do it yourself. The chain creates small and medium-sized conflicts. "

However, there are not even X-rays here, let alone MRI and CT, which can be called "eyes" for surgeons.

Only inspection equipment that uses echo and ultrasonic waves can be relied on.

After that, there is no choice but to judge by palpation and interview.

Moreover, there is only one surgeon, Mr. Nakano, for about 100,000 refugees.

Usually, a wide range of measures are required, such as being in charge of emergency childbirth surgery performed by an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Corona is becoming more severe in the medical field

Various infectious diseases such as malaria and measles are widespread in refugee camps in poor hygiene.

Furthermore, since entering this year, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus has increased rapidly.

We took measures to prevent the spread of the infection, such as setting up a dedicated ward to isolate patients, but even so, the staff became close contacts, and at one point we were unable to see or treat them.

Despite the increasing severity, Mr. Nakano continued to face each and every patient brought in.

"Now there are many patients in need of help. I am full of feelings that I want to return as many as possible to my family."

Another pillar of activity "Tell"

Doctors Without Borders is not limited to doctors like Mr. Nakano.

In fact, half of them are "non-medical staff."

In addition to medical assistance, testimony activities that convey the reality seen by staff in conflict areas are another major pillar.

The formation of a group of doctors was triggered by a conflict in Nigeria in the late 1960s.

The two-and-a-half-year struggle did not reach the citizens, killing more than 1.5 million people, including starvation.

At that time, doctors who were engaged in medical activities in the field struggled with the fact that the fact that the general public was in danger was not transmitted to the world at all. If we do not appeal, we will not be able to resolve the situation, "and Doctors Without Borders was established.

While visas and other restrictions prevent the media from entering all conflict areas, it is said that there is a reality that can only be known by local medical assistance organizations.

When he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999, he said at the beginning of his speech that he testified to the tragedy witnessed by doctors in Chechnya at the time and urged Russia to "stop bombing unprotected civilians." It is symbolic.

Half a century has passed since the establishment of the medical team.

Conflicts and civil wars continue around the world, and the number of refugees and refugees has surpassed a record high of 80 million last year.

In a world of conflict, the witnessing of doctors is even more important.

The driving force is

Even in Japan, there are people who have a special feeling about communicating the local situation.

This is Shinjiro Murata (44), who became the first Japanese secretary general in Japan.

Mr. Murata became a member of the medical team at the age of 28 after experiencing the sales position of an IT company.

For more than 10 years in conflict areas such as Syria, South Sudan and Yemen, we have supported medical assistance activities such as transporting goods and negotiating with armed groups.

Now, even though activities are restricted by the Corona disaster, I am telling the situation I saw locally through the Internet so that as many people as possible can know the suffering of people facing various crises such as conflicts.

In February, in an online lecture held for high school students, Mr. Murata talked about his experience when he was in charge of an activity base in Syria, which is in a state of confusion due to the civil war.

Mr. Murata, who could not help feeling helpless as the range of activities was narrowed day by day as the attacks on hospitals and the general public did not stop at all, once decided to quit this job. It is said that there was.

When I was pessimistic about the future of Syria and told a patient about the limits of support, he said:

"Don't say that, because you are our hope,"

says Murata, who was awakened to what the locals thought it was.

He said that words are still the driving force for continuing this work.

The online lecture started when we couldn't directly visit schools and give lectures as before, but there were cases where more than 1000 people, mainly students and young members of society, applied.

Doctors Without Borders is surprised by the unexpected response.

What we can do now

At the end of a lecture, one participant asked, "What can we do now in the corona wreck?"

Yuko Shirakawa (47), a nurse who has been active in conflict areas for many years, answered that question as follows.

"Of course, going to the scene and reaching out is one way, but there may be other ways to help. Many of the scenes where humanitarian crises are occurring are neither news nor attention. Caring for the locals. Finding out where the crisis is happening in the world, I think it starts from there. Talking to everyone in the school, talking to family, and that alone will help. "

Nurse Shirakawa has been active in Syria, Palestine, South Sudan, etc. since 2010.

Mr. Shirakawa himself was worried about the dilemma that medical care alone could not save the local people, and at one point he decided to quit the nurse and become a journalist.

However, he is also focusing on testimony activities while continuing to be a nurse, such as publishing his own experience as a book three years ago, saying that it can be told only because he is a nurse who knows the local disaster well. I will.

Nurse Shirakawa

"Now, due to the corona sickness, there are problems such as" medical collapse "in Japan and the inability to reach medical care. However, that is not new, and the staff of Doctors Without Borders has always been. It was something I had seen all over the world. There are people who have no choice but to live out of reach of medical care. I think that it may be more communicated now that we are in the corona wreck. "

"The hardest part is being forgotten,"

says people in conflict.

Stay interested in what is happening in the world and never forget it.

That may be what we can do now for people who live in harsher environments.

Video Center Photographer

Keiya Kawasaki

Joined in 2007

After working at the Okinawa Station and International Broadcasting Station, he is in his current position.

Long-term coverage of medical care children, the Battle of Okinawa, director Nobuhiko Obayashi, etc.

Received the Galaxy Award for the 30-year program of the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash.