Stories

From Afghanistan to Sudan, looking back at 2024.

28 Missions completed 2,451 People rescued 2022 Start of activities 17 December 2024 34 Rescued People Disembark in Ancona We arrived in Ancona after five days of navigation. Weather conditions were not always favourable, in particular during the first 48 hours the waves were reaching nearly two metres. The survivors were assisted by our medical…

“Since the war broke out, there is nothing left here.” Katerina is 54 years old. She shares her story in front of one of our clinics in Donetsk Oblast, a province in eastern Ukraine that has been heavily impacted by the effects of the war. Essential services are scarce, and the health system has been…

From 3-10 December 2024, EMERGENCY UK took part in the annual Big Give matching campaign. Thanks to generous match funding from our partners Crosta & Mollica and from the Reed Foundation together we have raised £40,130 for women and newborns at the Anabah Maternity Centre in Afghanistan – surpassing our target of £40,000! EMERGENCY’s facility…

It was 1991 and Jamila was nine years old. When a mine exploded, she suffered injuries all over her body, with the most serious affecting her right leg. Jamila is a patient at our Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration Centre in Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. Here, we provide prostheses, physiotherapy and check-ups to help people like Jamila.…

EMERGENCY continues to deliver free, high-quality care in the midst of war.

“By the end of their surgeries, many of the patients walk out as new people.” Earlier this year, journalist Lulu Jemimah travelled to the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, where EMERGENCY treats children from across Uganda and the wider region. More than half of Uganda’s population is under the age of 18, making access to…

In recent weeks, the EMERGENCY team in Gaza has been conducting site visits for a health clinic that will provide essential first aid and medical care. Stefano Sozza, Head of Mission, provides an update on the humanitarian situation: There are no safe places in Gaza. Displaced families live in dilapidated structures, tents or very basic shelters consisting of…

In Gaza, health needs are enormous. Living conditions are unsustainable. The local hospitals that are still operational lack necessary staff and medicines, and are often overcrowded. In the absence of other facilities, the sick and injured turn to hospitals for needs that could usually be treated on an outpatient basis. The situation in the Gaza…

Mahsa, Mehruma, Mehran, Mahnaz These four babies are siblings – quadruplets who were recently born at our Maternity Centre in Anabah, Afghanistan. Being able to give birth in your hospital was a blessing,” their mother says. “In Kabul, I would have given birth at home.” She had left the capital city to visit relatives in…

"The recognition of equality is the best antidote against war." Gino Strada passed away three years ago today, yet his words ring as true as ever. Gino spent his life putting his belief into practice, providing the care to which every human being should be entitled to. Today, more than 3,000 EMERGENCY colleagues continue his…

Save the Date! Join EMERGENCY in London on 31 July and 1 August “Till the Last Bird Sings” is a graphic novel about access to care and everyday life in Afghanistan, conceived by EMERGENCY and made by the artists La Tram and Francesca Romana Torre, who visited our projects in the country in July 2023.…

On Wednesday, 19 June, EMERGENCY welcomed Mr Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, to our Goderich Surgical Centre in Sierra Leone. He was joined by the WHO’s Representative in Sierra Leone, Dr Innocent Nuwagira. In Sierra Leone, injuries and deaths from road traffic accidents remain a major public health concern. At EMERGENCY’s Goderich…

Recently, EMERGENCY welcomed Sierra Leone Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh to the Goderich Surgical Centre to see our Soda Programme: the only project in the country for the treatment of preventable burns from caustic soda ingestion. In Sierra Leone, many women make homemade soap from caustic soda as part of an initiative that began in…

The Civil 7 The Civil 7 (C7) is a collaborative platform for civil society organisations to engage with the G7, an annual meeting of the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. EMERGENCY is proud to be a member of the Global Health Working Group of the C7,…

EMERGENCY UK is looking for Trustees to join its Board and help strengthen the organisation as it strives to continue its growth and development. EMERGENCY UK plays a key role as an affiliate of EMERGENCY – it serves as a hub for communications, fundraising and advocacy activities on an international scale. This takes place in…

“The hospital of Kigali is deserted. Patients, doctors, nurses, almost all have been killed. There are five of us, but we will soon be joined by others.” In 1994, in the midst of the Rwandan genocide, Dr Gino Strada and the first EMERGENCY team began to work. Together, they restored the surgical and obstetrics and…

More than a year since the outbreak of war in Sudan, the country is facing one of the worst humanitarian tragedies ever recorded. With more than 20 years of experience delivering aid in Sudan, EMERGENCY has published a new paper on the possibilities and constraints of humanitarian interventions during the current conflict, entitled: Sudan, the…

Conditions continue to deteriorate. Humanitarian activities face major obstacles. One year of war and neglect: Sudan today Among the obstacles are continuous electricity blackouts and interruptions to the internet and telecommunications networks; exponentially increased fuel prices; shortages of basic goods; and difficulties in procuring essential medicines and equipment. One year after the outbreak of war,…

Afghanistan has almost vanished from the media since the withdrawal of international troops in 2021 despite suffering one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world, which has had unprecedented social, economic and health repercussions. Extreme poverty is widespread, compounded by natural disasters. Meanwhile, EMERGENCY’s surgical hospitals continue to admit patients with violent trauma from…

On Wednesday 21 February, EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Lashkar-Gah received 13 patients after a terrible road traffic accident in Helmand. Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare occurrence in Afghanistan. The Helmand region was once dominated by fighting, and our Surgical Centre was almost exclusively dedicated to treating victims of war. Now, civilian trauma patients make up…

Stop the Inhumanity at Europe's Borders! Razor-wire fences and naval blockades. Pushbacks on land and at sea. Physical punishment by border guards, militia forces and vigilante groups. Detention without trial and confinement to squalid camps. Criminalization of aid workers. Deportation deals with rights-abusing states. On land and at sea, European states are obstructing and deterring…

EMERGENCY is happy to announce that Dover Street Entertainment’s documentary film, “Beyond the Beach – The Hell and the Hope”, is now available on Amazon Prime Video across the UK, US and Italy following its world premiere at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. “Beyond the Beach” follows EMERGENCY’s humanitarian projects in Afghanistan, in Iraqi Kurdistan, and along…

Every month, around 600 babies are born in this hospital. For more than 20 years, families have travelled from all over Afghanistan to our Maternity Centre in the Panjshir Valley. At the specialised facility, opened in 2003 and expanded in 2016, we offer free, high-quality care to mothers and their babies. Our Centre is a point of…

From Sudan to Afghanistan, from Uganda to the Mediterranean Sea, over 3,000 EMERGENCY staff have worked together to provide free, high-quality care around the world, every day. As we reflect on the past year and look ahead to the next, we want to say a massive thank you to all of our supporters, colleagues and…

In the last 10 years, more than 28,000 migrating people have drowned in the Mediterranean. Our wish for 2024: No more indifference. No more deaths at sea. CREDITS Creative Agency: Ogilvy Italia President & Chief Creative Officer: Giuseppe Mastromatteo Executive Creative Directors: Lavinia Francia, Francesco Basile Client Creative Directors: Alberto Crignola, Nicolò Mondonico Head of Strategy: Luca Tapognani…

For many people, migration means facing violence, abuse, death. In the central Mediterranean alone, over 28,000 people have disappeared since 2014 while attempting the crossing. At least 61 more people were victims of yesterday’s shipwreck off the coast of Libya, the latest we know of. And there are more deaths that no one knows about, people…

M. lives in Nyala. He goes to school and plays football, like many children his age. About three years ago, his life changed: the first symptoms of a disease that would compromise two of his heart valves appeared.  He visited several hospitals in Darfur seeking treatment, until he became a patient at our Nyala Paediatric…

Background Iraq is among the most heavily mined countries in the world: according to the Landmine Monitor 2022, over 1,200 km² of the territory is littered with landmines and over 500 km² more with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In 2021, the United Nations Mine Action Service extracted 9,000 unexploded ordnances from the ground. Yet according…

Armed clashes and attacks on a military base and a prison took place on Sunday 26 November in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Following the clashes in the capital city, 11 injured people were received at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Goderich, a district in the western area of Freetown. Watch an update from Samuele, Medical Coordinator at the hospital:…

When you donate to EMERGENCY, you help provide free healthcare to someone in need. To a young child in Uganda, where surgery means finally being able to attend school. To a new mother in Afghanistan, where high-quality care means a safe delivery in a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. To…

Goodluck Cole’s father works three jobs while his mother, Lucy, is a full-time carer for the little boy. When Goodluck was just one day old, Lucy noticed that something was wrong. She was referred to EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Goderich, Sierra Leone, where our doctors performed a colostomy on the baby because of a genetic…

Four-year-old Amol, left, poses for the camera with his friend, three-year-old Achiek. They met on the ward of the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, after travelling from South Sudan with our Regional Programme for Paediatric Surgery. Like Achiek, whose story we shared earlier this year, Amol was burned as an infant. Boiling water that was…

Kifatullah, like most 9-year-olds, likes to play with his friends. One morning, they found something new to play with. They didn’t realise the object was leftover from the decades of war in Afghanistan. When it exploded, one of the children immediately died. Kifatullah and his other friend were badly injured. His uncle quickly found them…

K. M. and his friend had just been to a wedding in Sangin, in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. While waiting by the car to leave, the friend stepped on a landmine, killing him instantly and severely injuring K.M.’s face, eyes, and legs. Before losing consciousness, he remembers seeing one of his legs detached from his body.…

Jamil Gul was on his way to a phone repair shop when he was stabbed by robbers. When the 21-year-old arrived at our Surgical Centre in Kabul, he was quickly taken to the operating theatre for emergency surgery to repair the knife injuries to his left lung and a major artery under his collarbone. For…

“If everyone of us did our bit, the world would be a better place without us even realising it.” Let’s keep doing our bit, without stopping. To build a fairer, more equitable, and peaceful world for all. Teresa Sarti Strada, 1946 – 2009.

The operation saved his life. Seven-year-old Omar lives in Afghanistan, a country still recovering from more than four decades of war. In April, Omar and two of his family members were rushed to the Kabul Surgical Centre after a landmine exploded, just one of tens of thousands of unexploded ordnance littering the country. One of…

20 Missions completed 1,678 People rescued 2022 Start of activities This page is an archive for Life Support updates on missions 1-20. For current updates, please head to the live page. LIFE SUPPORT LIVE UPDATES 30 June 2024 Mission 20 Complete: 47 Rescued People Disembark in Livorno The 47 people rescued by Life Support on 26 June…

“Right now, our presence here is critical for cardiac patients in need of treatment and for surgical emergencies that cannot be treated in hospitals that have been bombed or closed.”  From Sudan, our colleagues tell us why it is necessary to stay in the country. The war that began in April continues, and fighting has…

Amid the severe humanitarian and economic crises, EMERGENCY remains in Afghanistan and continues to provide free, high-quality care across the country. In the past two years, EMERGENCY has admitted over 41,000 patients at the Surgical Centres in Kabul and Lashkar-Gah and the Surgical and Paediatric Centre and Maternity Centre in Anabah. In the same period, our more than 40 First Aid Posts and Primary Healthcare Centres – connecting rural…

Gino Strada was a man of peace, turning medical gestures into acts of equality and justice. Striving, in every idea and each project, for the rights of all. We miss you Gino. Thank you. Gino Strada, 1948-2021.   Illustration by George Butler.

Ajmal and his nephew were riding a motorcycle to visit his father in the hospital when they were in a road traffic accident. An ambulance brought Ajmal from a hospital in Wardak province to EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Kabul. The accident had caused serious trauma to his head and chest, and multiple bone fractures in…

Hashim was riding his motorbike to the bazaar in Grishk, Afghanistan when he was hit by a car. While fighting in Helmand province, once a hub of conflict, has subsided, civilian trauma from road traffic accidents, stabbings and other injuries still requires major surgical interventions. The driver quickly brought him to EMERGENCY’s First Aid Post…

Amir does not speak. He does not know if he ever will again, because a landmine has torn his vocal cords. The friend he was walking with on the road where the bomb lay is dead. His father Munir, however, translates his every gesture and expression into words. Since Amir was injured three months ago,…

Major flooding and landslides have affected several districts near Kabul. EMERGENCY’s First Aid Posts in Jalrez and Ghurband have received 10 wounded, and two dead on arrival. As countries around the world are affected by natural disasters, those with already weakened health systems suffer greatly. “At our First Aid Post in Jalrez, the water and mud…

Taranto, 24.07.23 – The disembarkation of the 171 people rescued on 20 July by EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support ended this morning at the port of Taranto at 11:20 a.m. They had been rescued in four different operations. Thirteen rescued people who were in a fragile condition disembarked first in Lampedusa. The rescued…

A New Exhibition, Coming to London this July. One year on from the violent events of August 2021 and the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan, the award-winning reportage artist George Butler travelled to EMERGENCY’s hospitals and clinics across the country to illustrate the organisation’s life-saving work. These drawings of EMERGENCY’s colleagues, hospital wards and patients…

Over three weeks, our surgical team saw Amir in the operating theatre every 48 hours.  

At the Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, we like to ask our young patients what they want to be when they grow up. Some, like seven-year-old Collins, say, “Policeman." Miracle, 7, says he doesn’t know, but he still has time to think about it. And many, like Kitenga Jesse, also 7, answer, “Doctor.” Caterina, one…

In June 2003, EMERGENCY opened a Maternity Centre in the Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan. Over the past 20 years, our team in Anabah, led by the women of Afghanistan, have admitted around 100,000 patients and delivered over 76,000 babies. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and working together with a network of 16…

“Nursing here is a sacred job: our patients are our relatives, our people.” Gulbudin joined our Surgical Centre in Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan, when it opened in 2004. After attending university, he worked as a nurse in the wards and the Outpatients Department, then became the Outpatients Department Team Leader. Now, Gulbudin is Head Nurse at the…

Refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs: a record 110 million people are displaced worldwide, forced to flee because of persecution, conflict, climate change and human rights violations.   On World Refugee Day, we recognise the dangers and extreme difficulties that migrants face as countries in Europe and elsewhere adopt a hostile approach to those on the move.  …

Achiek was just 8 months old when he accidentally spilled boiling tea on his hand. The little boy lives with his mother in Bur, South Sudan, where the healthcare system struggles because of insufficient infrastructure and an acute shortage of healthcare workers. While the wounds on his hand eventually healed, his fingers curled inward and…

Meet Mohamad Osman, one of the nurses here at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre in Kabul. Mohamad has been working at our hospital for 17 years, first in the intensive care unit and now as Team Leader of the children’s ward. He is passionate and gentle with everyone he meets. He takes care of our small patients,…

G. and her two-year-old son were rescued by Life Support while crossing the Central Mediterranean, the world’s deadliest migration route. “The father of my son is now in Libya,” the 22-year-old Eritrean told us. “We wanted to rescue little N. from that hell, but we did not have the money to pay for three people…

COVID-19 RESPONSE IN AFRICA AND THE COVAX MECHANISM VOICES FROM THE FIELD: SIERRA LEONE, SUDAN, UGANDA The response to the Covid-19 pandemic in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) was largely insufficient due to global vaccine inequality and systemic issues within healthcare structures. EMERGENCY’s latest report, produced together with Bocconi University’s CERGAS and DONDENA research centres,…

“THE ENGINE BROKE DOWN. I WAS PANICKING BUT I WOULD NEVER GO BACK BECAUSE IN LIBYA YOU RISK YOUR LIFE EVERY DAY.” “THE FATHER OF MY SON IS STILL IN LIBYA. WE WANTED TO RESCUE OUR LITTLE ONE FROM THAT HELL, BUT WE DIDN’T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THREE. HE SACRIFICED HIMSELF. NOW…

At 40 years old, Bibi Hajar’s 7th pregnancy was not an easy one. She lives in Parian with her family, where she tends to their two cows and her husband earns his living by carrying stones. With the ongoing economic crisis in Afghanistan, they have little money and even less to eat. Bibi did not…

COGS IN THE WHEEL OF PEACE Introduction by Rossella Miccio, President of EMERGENCY, in the 2022 Report Frontiers – physical and moral. Like the ones invaded, criminally, by Russia on 24 February 2022, or the ones constructed to keep migrants away. In 2022 we watched as Europe slid further into violence and division. In the…

One hypothesis could be that the engine has started working again and the boat is sailing towards Sicily, but we have no evidence of this. 

Ab Zahir was bringing groceries home on his motorcycle when he was hit by a car and immediately lost consciousness. A traffic policeman brought him to our Lashkar-Gah Surgical Centre. Originally set up for war victims, the needs of Helmand Province have changed as fighting has subsided in the region. Nevertheless, the specialist surgical care…

On 30 March, EMERGENCY and CRIMEDIM released the report Access to Care in Afghanistan. While certain conditions like geographic mobility have improved in the country as fighting has subsided, many barriers remain to accessing care – especially for children like 12-year-old Moqadas, who has Type 1 Diabetes. Last year, Moqadas was admitted to our Anabah…

Our founder Gino always worked to ease the suffering of others.

EMERGENCY’s Life Support concludes its fifth mission today. At sea since December 2022, it has rescued 619 people. 

In 2022, the Orthopaedic Technicians at EMERGENCY’s Sulaymaniyah Rehabilitation Centre delivered 583 new prostheses.  Colleagues like Rozhgar and Zhino make this possible.  After graduating from Soran Prosthetics Institute, Rozhgar began her career as an ICU nurse. But, she says, “I was always seeking a way to help disabled people.” She joined EMERGENCY as an Orthopaedic…

Rabiullah lives with his parents and four siblings in the Panjshir Valley, where the cold winter weather and rising prices are making life more and more difficult. When Rabiullah was just 15 months old, he had severe respiratory distress and low levels of oxygen in his blood. When he was admitted to EMERGENCY’s Anabah Surgical…

The children were playing in the garden when the IED exploded. They had found an old metal device that they said looked like a big bullet, and threw it away. 13-year-old Mohammad and his sister, 4-year-old Shamsia, were the closest. They come from a poor family in a remote village in Sangin district, Afghanistan. They…

EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support began conducting missions in December 2022. Once the rescued people are onboard Life Support, we not only provide medical assistance but also bear witness to their stories. Below are just five of the stories we heard from the 161 people we rescued on 25 March 2023. Many spoke…

Afghan people are facing major socio-economic barriers to care, as well as a healthcare system affected by chronic challenges and underinvestment. EMERGENCY and CRIMEDIM, a research centre from the Università del Piemonte Orientale, have released a new report that explores access to care across 10 Afghan Provinces based on data and testimony from over 1,800…

staff at our Paediatric Centre in Nyala are working on this as part of the project Objective of Good Health in Sudan: Strengthening Human Capital and Quality Paediatric Health Services in South Darfur.

EMERGENCY completed the disembarkation of 161 people rescued between the night and morning of 25 March by the ship Life Support in three different rescue operations.

On Monday 27 March, an explosion took place near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.

On International Women’s Day, we want to share a story about two colleagues from our Anabah Maternity Centre who share a name and a purpose: to help the women of Afghanistan. Najila has been Midwife at the hospital for 5 years. At just 25 years old, she is already one of our shift leaders, acting…

Late last night, EMERGENCY’s search and rescue ship Life Support received a report of a boat in distress in international waters off Libya.

His prostheses have allowed Sangar to take back his future.

“For two years I travelled alone, knowing that there was no one there to help me and that I was the only one who would take care of me. Many times I thought about my parents, who remained in Nigeria.” When he left Nigeria, K. was 14 years old. He was chosen by his family…

Koko Jamal is no longer with us. He was one of the longstanding figures in our Kabul Surgical Centre, working with us since 2002. As Driver Supervisor, he trained our teams of drivers for years, teaching them how to move around one of the most dangerous cities in the world, while ensuring the maximum safety…

In late November, a group of eight children between the ages of 2 and 10 arrived at our Kabul Surgical Centre. Nabiullah was among them, suffering from multiple shell injuries to his legs, feet, abdomen, and left hand. Nabiullah’s family is from Sorabi, near Kabul. He is just 7 years old, but acts older. He…

Avan also started working at the Centre as a Receptionist.

At our Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery in Khartoum, Sudan, the hard work of hundreds of colleagues makes our daily, life-saving care possible. Patients from 32 countries, from Burundi to Zimbabwe, have been treated here. We recently spoke with some of our colleagues about the facility and what they have achieved. COUNTRY DIRECTOR Muhameda Tulumovic…

On 1st and 2nd February, EMERGENCY and the Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health hosted the ‘ANME: Moving Forward’ conference in Khartoum.

We were honoured to receive the support of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization.

At just 2 years old, Sargul contracted polio.

Among the Centre’s patients: Safu and her girls 

On Wednesday 18 January, a delegation from the Carter Center visited our Paediatric Centre in Mayo, on the outskirts of Khartoum.

Hawa is 10 years old. Her story is very similar to the many we’ve become part of in Sudan and beyond.

Of all the children that visit, most have gastrointestinal or respiratory diseases, infections involving the eyes, ears and skin, intestinal parasites or malaria.

On Wednesday 11 January at 4pm, there was an explosion near the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.

More than 40 injured people were received at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul.

The video has been released in Italy and worldwide through EMERGENCY’s social media channels, with the wish that this peace project will truly become a reality in 2023.

One of the main goals of each of our projects is continually training local colleagues, to transfer skills and create a positive impact on the country’s healthcare system over time.  

Gino Strada, our founder, used to say “to create a world without war, we have to imagine it first”

When I found out about the award, I thought, ‘this award is not for Nigar, it is for all the staff here.’

Thank you for standing with EMERGENCY in our efforts to bring more healing to the world. We are looking forward to seeing what more we can accomplish together in 2023.

On 20 December 2022, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education announced a ban on women attending university with immediate effect until further notice.

EMERGENCY lands in Livorno after two nightime operations in 24 hours: 142 people rescued.

“All operations were carried out with promptly by the rescue team,” says Carlo Maisano, EMERGENCY’s SAR Project Coordinator.

“EMERGENCY is going to the sea to save lives and protect human rights”.

At our Paediatric Centre in Port Sudan, the only hospital located in one of the poorest areas of the city, we offer free and high-quality care to children up to the age of 14. 

So many patients have travelled up and down these steps over the years, becoming familiar with their prostheses.  Jabar is one of them. 

23 years ago, EMERGENCY opened a First Aid Post in Afghanistan.

Today and every day, EMERGENCY reaffirms its support for persons with disabilities by providing free, high-quality healthcare. #IDPwD

“I have witnessed thousands of people return back to their daily life and community through EMERGENCY’s services.”

We took this photo of him, on a beautiful, sunny day.

EMERGENCY recently conducted its first cardiac screening mission in Somalia.

Being there for patients for as long as needed is crucial to the rehabilitation journey.

Othman’s powerful story of rehabilitation and recovery.

They are a young generation of Afghans who have never seen anything but war, but have dreams for their future.

Despite the violence, Rahman is convinced: he does not want to leave his country.

You are the people that support us to go on providing lifesaving care.

On 20 September, the Ugandan authorities announced an outbreak of Ebola in Mubende district.

We look after so many patients in Afghanistan: behind every wound lies the story of a country torn apart by years, decades of war.

It was a suicide attack. We have received 20 wounded people so far, all adult males, of whom 16 were admitted, 2 were dead on arrival and 2 were treated as outpatients. 

We take a different stance, grounded in solidarity, rights and humanity.

Enok has worked with us since 2019, when we began contributing to work at the hospital’s newly opened cardiology clinics.

A total of 22 patients, including 20 women, have been received at EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre for War Victims in Kabul following the suicide attack that took place this morning, 30 September.

On #WorldHeartDay, we share the latest on EMERGENCY’s approach to Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). A sustainable model, showing that it is possible and right to provide free, quality surgery and care to everyone in need.

Shadman is part of the incredible team here which is dedicated to restoring lives that have been disrupted by the fallout of war. 

Protecting people’s health and dignity contributes to building peace.

“I was following my father when, suddenly, he stepped on a mine.” 

“Dead on arrival. 11:56am.

One of those objects, however, was an unexploded mine.

“SIXTH EXPLOSION IN THE LAST MONTH, THE SITUATION IS COMPLICATED”.

The spotlight may have moved away from Afghanistan.
But EMERGENCY hasn’t.

A year ago, the eyes of the world were on Afghanistan.

It has been one year since we lost Dr Gino Strada, the founder of EMERGENCY, the war surgeon, the peace activist, the man. 

Although we are lonelier, all we can do today is go on.

“We are working to treat patients, expand the number of beds and stock up on food and water to cope with this crisis.”

In this video, our colleague Andrea tells us about the evolution of our intervention in Moldova.

The Sulaymaniyah Rehabilitation Centre has been restoring people’s autonomy for 24 years. There is lots more to do.

We are ready to support in these difficult times.

“My work is valuable. You have to be in love with it and be patient and careful. When you love what you do, everything is possible.”   

For a full year after her accident, Aisha had to be fed by her mother from a bottle.

The Lye Programme now under way at our centre has the twofold aim of treating the chemical’s victims and raising public awareness of the problem.

Alie’s family did not know what to do about his accident. To ease his pain, they gave him palm oil to drink.

Afghanistan has been trampled on by war and its recent abandonment by the international community.

He still struggles to walk: we will now wait for him at the hospital for physiotherapy sessions.

Everyone at EMERGENCY UK is cheering on the wonderful Nic Beretta, who has started a two-month, 47 stage, 40,000 metre elevation, 520 mile/840km-long hike through the Pyrenees to raise money for EMERGENCY.  Nic is tackling the menacing GR11 trail, one of the longest hiking routes in Europe, in aid of EMERGENCY, Amnesty International and the…

J. arrived at our hospital in Kabul around two months ago, together with his two little cousins. All three were injured when a landmine exploded. They were playing when they found a small object. It looked like it was made of steel. It exploded when J. tried to open it. The three cousins were all…

Our amazing friends at ISHKAR have launched a stunning photography print sale for the third year in a row, with all proceeds going towards EMERGENCY’s projects in Afghanistan. 19 internationally-renowned photographers have donated their work, including Steve McCurry, Zahra Khodadadi, Lorenzo Tugnoli, Farshad Usyan, Andrew Quilty, Elise Blanchard, Matthieu Paley, Michael Christopher Brown, and many…

We have sent staff and 7 ambulances to support relief efforts & transport the injured to our First Aid Posts. We have also made beds available in the Kabul Surgical Centre.

“My colleagues not only gave me this opportunity: they always inspired me.”

They are doctors and nurses coming from the Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala.

Our local colleagues work independently and efficiently, forming the core of medical and managerial activities.

Last March, Tetyana and her son Misha arrived in Moldova after leaving Odessa in Ukraine.

Clever and his father arrived at our hospital in Entebbe last November after a 10-hour bus ride from Fort Portal on the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

A Humanitarian Health Organisation’s Perspective.

Micola is sitting outside the Mobile Clinic waiting to be triaged.

“Elizabeth is a very determined person,” says Giacomo Menaldo, Country Director. “She understands the importance of this hospital. She could have earned much more money elsewhere, but working alongside our doctors is exactly what spurs her on.” This is how Giacomo, our Country Director in Uganda, introduces Elizabeth, a Ugandan colleague at the Children’s Surgical…

One year ago, EMERGENCY opened the state-of-the-art Children’s Surgical Hospital in Entebbe, Uganda, which puts the human right to healthcare into practice every day. It is above all a place that provides hope to its young patients and their families. Combining medical, architectural and environmental excellence, the hospital is home to over 380 local and…

Following a roundtable discussion, a Joint Declaration was signed, laying out the commitments that will guide the next steps for the African Network of Medical Excellence.

Our first year in numbers.

Today, we celebrate all the incredible nurses around the world.

“They often show us photos of their children, their home, their pets… thus starting the process of reconstructing the temporal continuity interrupted by the war, tying together that ‘before’ and ‘after’.” 

To all the midwives who have worked here, and the team at the hospital today, thank you.

A. thanks us because she has found a “safe place” where she can cry and vent her anguish without fear of falling apart.

Shekiba tells us the blunt reality of conditions in Afghanistan.

This is yet another demonstration that, although attention to the situation in Afghanistan has waned, the country is not at peace.

They want to return to Mykolaïv to hug their son and grandson.

EMERGENCY is supporting the social and medical needs of the victims of this war.

An award for supporting the country at the most difficult times.

As this crisis evolves, we are working with the Moldovan authorities to further strengthen our presence and services.

EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre received a large influx of patients.

We treat the atrocious consequences of this explosive violence.

We believe the future is theirs. Even more so, we believe they are the future.

the European Union can come together to uphold its values of respect for human rights and protecting those fleeing persecution, war and violence.

Emanuele Nannini, EMERGENCY’s Country Director in Afghanistan, joined a roundtable last Tuesday, where he shared how hospitals perceive the current status of humanitarian aid in the country. “Healthcare is always one of the most affected areas, just as it is now. Access to it is still a privilege. Our hospitals are free of charge but…

In this video, we bring you there, to the Afghanistan heartland that we know well.

Thanks to the Mobile Outpatient Clinic, we will be able to operate in different places, and to promptly respond to the needs the unpredictable situation may arise.

“We are assessing all possibilities for EMERGENCY’s intervention both inside and on the borders of Ukraine”.

Women’s rights are human rights.

Urgent and coordinated action is needed now to rebuild Afghanistan.

3 million people died since the Omicron variant emerged, shattering perceptions that the pandemic is over.

“Everyone knows the situation here. The needs increase day by day.”

Our thoughts are with all the civilians in the path of this violence.

Rizgar was just 21 years old when unexploded ordnance changed his life forever.

Elijah was born with a small mass on his left arm.

Europe has betrayed Africa by blocking proposals which would allow manufacturers on the continent to make their own COVID-19 vaccines.

“The hospital has never closed its operating theatres.

I was born with several congenital deformities, which affected my left leg and both hands.

By prohibiting development, testing, deployment, possession, stockpiling, use and threat of use, the TPNW aims at total nuclear disarmament.

The hands of the Doomsday Clock occupy exactly the same position as they did a year ago, but it is not good news.

We received a very special photo from Guinea!

An unforgettable night of traditional Afghan music.

In 21 years, our clinics have provided over 5 million outpatient visits and more than 120,000 ambulance transfers.

At ‘Best Shoes’, Ako ensures a dignified life for him and his family. Ako has been living with a severe disability since he was 11: he lost his left hand, part of his right hand, and one eye completely due to a landmine. “I was a child. I was returning to my village, Gawrade, together…

Year 23 of EMERGENCY’s commitment to Afghanistan begins.

We want to go on providing a practical response to the needs of the most vulnerable among us, and we will.

“For this special birthday, I express a single wish: to continue to be there, to be able to treat more and more children.”

Just like every year, EMERGENCY and Ogilvy are back with a wish for the year ahead.

This is the story of a mother and her tough decision.

We wish all those celebrating a very happy festive season.

Everything has changed in Afghanistan.

Caring means not forgetting those in need.

Continued division and the fortification of borders will never be the answer.

For many women here, Florence is like a mother, a sister, an aunt.

Today, we pay tribute to everyone at the Sulaymaniyah Rehabilitation Centre and all those living with disabilities.

A few days ago we inaugurated a new facility in Dayek,

There are striking parallels between COVID-19 and another deadly pandemic: HIV.

There seems to be no possibility for peace or respite for the people of this country.”

On 5 November, a fuel tanker exploded in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. 

“It took us three hours to find her. She was unrecognisable.”

“The humanitarian situation in South Darfur is very difficult. A large part of the population lives in extreme poverty without access to basic health services. The high rate of malnutrition makes the needs of the youngest children increasingly urgent.”

Earlier this year, our amazing friends at ISHKAR started a photography print fundraiser for EMERGENCY’s healthcare projects across Afghanistan.

The thread of solidarity, inclusion and diversity she created throughout Europe must stay intact.

Elise Blanchard, journalist and photographer for Agence France-Presse (AFP), has collected children’s stories from across Afghanistan.

This is the photo we took with him: standing with a new prosthesis, his hand over his heart.

We received 21 patients, one of whom was dead on arrival

In October 2001, another twenty-year chapter of the war in Afghanistan began.

This was an appeal to world leaders to suspend monopolies on Covid vaccines and allow them to be produced in low-income countries, where just 1.8% of the population are currently vaccinated. Italy has made its stance clear and is taking courageous and genuinely effective action to get universal access to vaccines.

There was a doll with blonde hair and a yellow dress above the bed, looking at her owner – Amina.

Sudan is going through a moment of instability.

In early July 2021 began the second phase of our ‘Emergency initiative in support of the cardiology clinic at Orotta Hospital in Eritrea’. Located in the capital of Asmara, this is the country’s main public hospital.

Firms and rich nations continue to block moves to share vaccine technology and recipes

EMERGENCY, the international organisation that has provided free, high-quality healthcare to over 11 million people around the world, has released a new project entitled Afghanistan20.

Maidan Shahr is a town around 50km from Kabul, on the main road from the capital to Kandahar.

Luca Rolla, EMERGENCY’s Country Director in Sudan, has sent us good news from Khartoum!

20 years on, EMERGENCY’s hospitals across the country have treated thousands of war victims. 

Nadir, 12, and his cousin Hassan, 10, were walking back to their house when a small metal object caught their attention.

Senait is a 37-year-old woman and mother of three. She has a heart condition that she has never been able to have treated. As a result, she becomes weak very easily.

Whilst on her 8,000-mile-journey, searching for her mother and a better future, Amal found EMERGENCY in Rome, Bologna, and Milan.

Finally, she’s nearly here! We are looking forward to welcoming a very special guest to our headquarters on Saturday…

Moderna, BioNTech and Pfizer cashing in thanks to taxpayer investments, monopolies, and low taxes while leaving millions unprotected.

One month ago, on 13 August, Gino left us. Today we remember him through the words of Soran, whom Gino met in 1996.

During the night of Friday 3 September, Taliban forces pushed further into the Panjshir Valley, reaching the village of Anabah where EMERGENCY’s Surgical Centre and Maternity Centre are located.

EMERGENCY runs two major hospitals in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley: the Anabah Maternity Centre, and the Surgical & Paediatric Centre – providing free, high-quality healthcare to people living in the province and beyond.

Terrible violence hit Kabul today. Explosions in the vicinity of the airport, packed with people trying to leave the country, have left dozens of people dead and wounded.⠀ ⠀ The EMERGENCY Kabul Surgical Centre received a massive influx of patients almost immediately. We can confirm over 60 patients arrived so far, with more than a…

Gino Strada. 1948-2021. War surgeon, founder of EMERGENCY, and our driving force. His obituary in The New York Times today.

“He was absolutely dedicated to helping humanity. His whole life was dedicated to that one cause….He was somebody that believed in the end of war. He believed that, as a surgeon, he had to find the root cause of the problem for his patients, and the root cause of that problem was war – and…

“Yesterday, we received five patients with gunshot wounds from the airport.”

“For two days, the hospital was overflowing, they added extra beds.”

Number of War-Wounded Patients Received Increases in Panjshir

ALBERTO ZANIN, MEDICAL COORDINATOR: “WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE ROOM FOR MORE BEDS.”

He was 73 years old and spent his life making the world a better place.

Our beloved Gino died this morning.

Two of EMERGENCY’s healthcare facilities in Afghanistan have been hit by crossfire in the last 24 hours. 

Fighting has been ongoing for days now in Lashkar-Gah, southern Afghanistan. It is also near our hospital.

“We are receiving wounded patients. We ask all parties to respect this facility and ensure it is not put in danger. HOSPITALS ARE NOT A TARGET!”

Nurses, doctors, logisticians, technicians, guards, cleaners… our local colleagues in Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan.

The prints are available at special, one-off prices for six weeks only.

There was heavy shelling, they used machine guns, and shots were fired from helicopters – it was loud.

The Taliban are now advancing towards Lashkar-Gah – the capital of Helmand province. Fighting is now worsening inside the city centre.

We heard bombing from the hospital throughout the night and the morning, plus small arms fire, machine guns, snipers and artillery.

New analysis by the Alliance shows that the firms Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are charging governments as much as $41 billion above the estimated cost of production.

UNAMA’s latest report confirms that the situation in war-torn Afghanistan is dire.

Nassir, a survivor of the conflict in Afghanistan, tells us his story.

“We heard the impact from our Surgical Centre for War Victims very well, as we are only a few hundred metres away,” said Marco Puntin.