Medecins Sans Frontieres USA (MSF USA)

Doctors Without Borders USA

333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10016

Phone: 212-679-6800
Fax: 212-679-7016
E-mail: doctors@newyork.msf.org
Internet: www.doctorswithoutborders.org

International Headquarters

A private, nonprofit humanitarian organization, Doctors Without Borders (DWB) was founded in 1971 by a small group of French doctors determined to respond rapidly and effectively to public health emergencies, with complete independence from political, economic, and religious powers. DWB delivers emergency medical relief to populations threatened by armed conflict, civil strife, epidemics, or natural or human-made disasters. A DWB team provides primary health care, performs surgery, vaccinates children, rehabilitates hospitals, operates emergency nutrition and sanitation programs, and trains local medical staff.

DWB is among the most proactive of all the NGOs. It works in a wide range of countries and has a reputation for principled and courageous work in the field. Its opposition to cooperation with the military has generated a great deal of debate. DWB withdrew from Afghanistan in 2005 after claiming that the location nearby of a U.S. military Provincial Reconstruction Team contributed to a deadly insurgent attack on its personnel.