沙烏地阿拉伯狂轟濫炸　無國界醫生被迫撤離葉門

文／無國界醫生（MSF）

在8月15日葉門哈佳省（Hajjah）的阿卜斯醫院（Abs Hospital）遭到空襲，導致19死24傷之後，無國界醫生（Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières，簡稱MSF）決定撤離在葉門北部薩達省（Saada）與哈佳省所支援的醫院的員工，即是在薩達省海丹（Haydan）、拉澤（Razeh）、甘莫里（Al Gamouri）、也思寧（Yasnim）的醫院，以及在哈佳省的阿卜斯與甘莫里（Al Gamouri）的醫院。這次阿卜斯醫院被攻擊，已是這場戰爭中第四次有無國界醫生支援的設施受襲，而且是死傷最多的一次，同時，葉門全國的其他醫療設施與服務均受到無數次的襲擊。

自從11天前，沙烏地阿拉伯為首的聯軍（Saudi-led coalition ，SLC）與胡塞武裝組織在科威特的和平會談暫停之後，沙國聯軍便在葉門北部重啟強烈攻勢。

▲葉門薩達省遭空襲。（圖／路透社）

過去8個月以來，無國界醫生已在利雅得（Riyadh）先後兩次與沙國聯軍的高層官員會面，以確保葉門人民的人道與醫療救援無虞，同時向他們尋求終止攻擊醫院的保證。儘管無國界醫生已將支援醫院的GPS座標，有系統地提供給參戰各方，然而卻仍空襲持續。聯軍官員多次表示他們尊重國際人道法，但這次攻擊顯示對於武力使用的控制失敗，也無法防止滿是病人的醫院受襲。對於沙特聯軍聲明指這次襲擊是失誤的說法，無國界醫生並不滿意，也無法釋疑。

有鑒於目前攻勢密集，且我們已對聯軍避免致命襲擊的能力失去信心，無國界醫生認為薩達省與哈佳省的醫院，對於員工與病人來說都不安全。這個讓包括產科醫生、兒科醫生、外科醫生與急診室專業人員撤離項目的決定，從來都不是輕易妄下的決定，但若沒有收到參戰各方保證尊重醫療設施、醫療人員與病人的受保護地位，或許我們別無選擇。考慮到最近發生的事件，我們在哈佳省與薩達省正是處於這樣的情況。

就襲擊展開獨立調查固然必要，我們也必須強調，先前關於無國界醫生其他設施受襲的聯軍調查內容，並沒有與我們分享。無國界醫生總幹事圖巴（Joan Tubau）說：「最新一次的事件顯示，目前的交戰規則、軍事慣例與程序，並不足以避免醫院被攻擊，需要修訂與改變。」他續說：「無國界醫生要求沙國聯軍，以及支持聯軍的各政府，特別是美國、英國與法國，保證會立刻採取措施，切實增強對平民的保護。」

無國界醫生在薩達、海丹、拉澤、阿卜斯與哈佳支援的醫院，會由衛生部員工與義工繼續運作。這些醫院正勉力應對因轟炸行動攻勢重啟而造成的醫療需求，以及因葉門人民正忍受的各種短缺而導致或加劇的嚴重需求。無國界醫生促請所有參戰方，確保這些醫院的安全，並允許他們繼續中立與不偏不倚地提供醫療照護。

此次撤離對於我們的病人，以及會繼續於不安全環境下留守醫療設施內工作的葉門衛生部醫護同事所造成的影響，無國界醫生深感遺憾。我們希望當地安全局勢將有所改善，讓當地人有喘息空間，並希望無國界醫生能夠重返當地，為最有需要的人提供醫療照護。對於未能讓葉門平民在軍事行動中受到保護的集體失敗，還有未能向他們提供適當人道援助的失敗，無國界醫生感到遺憾。

無國界醫生譴責所有參與這場戰事的人士或組織、沙國為首的聯軍、胡塞武裝及其盟友，在這場戰爭中的手段，以及狂轟濫炸、無視平民安危的攻擊。無國界醫生藉此再次向我們於襲擊中喪生的工作人員和病人的家屬，致以深深的慰問。醫院內喪生的醫護人員和傷病者，正正說明了這場戰爭的殘酷和沒有人性。

這次撤離之前，無國界醫生在葉門共11間醫院和醫療中心工作，並向另外18間分佈8個省的醫院和醫療中心提供支援，包括亞丁（Aden）、達利（Al-Dhale’）、塔伊茲（Taiz）、薩達、阿母蘭（Amran）、哈佳、伊布（Ibb）和沙那（Sana’a）。無國界醫生目前在葉門有超過2000名工作人員，包括90名國際救援人員。

PRESS RELEASE: 19th, Aug. 2016

 

INDISCRIMINATE BOMBINGS AND UNRELIABLE REASSURANCES FROM SAUDI LED COALITION, FORCES MSF TO EVACUATE STAFF FROM SIX HOSPITALS IN NORTHERN YEMEN

Following the August 15 aerial bombing of Abs Hospital in Yemen’s Hajjah Governorate, which killed 19 people and injured 24, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has decided to evacuate its staff from the hospitals it supports in Saada and Hajjah governorates in Northern Yemen, concretely Haydan, Razeh, Al Gamouri, Yasnim hospitals in Saada and Abs and Al Gamouri hospitals in Hajjah. The attack on the Abs hospital is the fourth and deadliest on any MSF-supported facility during this war and here have been countless attacks on other health facilities and services all over Yemen.

Since the suspension of the peace talks between the Saudi-led coalition (SLC) and the Houthi forces in Kuwait 11 days ago, the SLC has resumed an intensified campaign in Northern Yemen.

Over the last 8 months, MSF has met with high ranking SLC officials on two occasions in Riyadh to secure humanitarian and medical assistance for Yeminis, as well as to seek assurances that attacks on hospitals would end. Aerial bombings have however continued, despite the fact that  MSF has systematically shared the GPS coordinates of hospitals in which we work with the parties involved in the conflict. Coalition officials repeatedly state that they honor international humanitarian law, yet this attack shows a failure to control the use of force and to avoid attacks on hospitals full of patients. MSF is neither satisfied nor reassured by the Saudi-led coalition's statement that this attack was a mistake.

Given the intensity of the current offensive and our loss of confidence in the Coalition’s ability to avoid such fatal attacks, MSF considers that the hospitals in Saada and Hajjah governorates are unsafe for both patients and staff.  The decision to evacuate the staff, which include obstetricians, pediatricians, surgeons and emergency room specialists, from a project is never taken lightly, but in the absence of credible assurances that parties to a conflict will respect the protected status of medical facilities, medical workers, and patients, there may be no other options. This is the case in Hajjah and in Saada governorate based on recent events.

While an independent investigation remains necessary, we must highlight that previous military coalition investigations related to MSF facilities have not been shared with us. “This latest incident shows that the current rules of engagement, military protocols and procedures are inadequate in avoiding attacks on hospitals, and need revision and changes”, says Joan Tubau, the General Director of MSF. “ MSF asks the Saudi-led Coalition and the Governments supporting the Coalition, particularly US, UK and France, to ensure an immediate application of measures geared to substantially increasing the protection of civilians”.

The hospitals that MSF supports in Saada, Haydan, Razeh , Abs, Yasnim, and Hajjah will continue to operate with the staff from the Ministry of Health and volunteers. These hospitals are already struggling to keep up with the medical needs caused by the renewed bombing campaigns and the acute needs created or exacerbated by the numerous shortages Yemenis are trying to endure. MSF asks all parties to ensure the safety of these hospitals and to allow them continue to provide medical care with neutrality and impartiality.

MSF deeply regrets the consequences of this evacuation for our patients and our MoH Yemeni medical colleagues who will continue to work in the health facilities under unsafe conditions.  We hope that the security situation will improve so that the population will have some respite and MSF teams will be able to return to providing the much needed medical care. MSF regrets the collective failure to protect the Yemeni civilians from military action and also the failure to help them with adequate humanitarian response.

MSF condemns the way all involved actors, the S-LC, the Houthi and their allies, are conducting this war and carrying out indiscriminate attacks without any respect for civilians. MSF wants to once again offer its most sincere condolences to the families of our staff and the patients that died during the attack. That medical staff and sick and injured people are killed inside a hospital speaks of the cruelty and inhumanity of this war.

Before this evacuation, MSF was active in 11 hospitals and health centers in Yemen, and providing support to another 18 hospitals or health centers in eight governorates: Aden, Al-Dhale’, Taiz, Saada, Amran, Hajjah, Ibb and Sana’a. More than 2,000 MSF staff are currently working in Yemen, including 90 international staff.