[Opinion] The Humanitarian Mask
[Excerpts]
As focus shifts to post-war aid and reconstruction in Gaza, the role played during the conflict by organisations with ostensibly humanitarian objectives is coming under increasing scrutiny. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)—also known as Doctors Without Borders—is a highly problematic example. For decades, MSF was considered a model of universal morality and medical heroism. The NGO’s medical personnel courageously entered dangerous conflict zones to provide desperately needed aid, and in 1999, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “in recognition of the organisation’s pioneering humanitarian work on several continents.” “Our actions,” the MSF website promises, “are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.”
