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MSF chief recalls 2015 Afghanistan hospital bombing, warns of rising attacks on healthcare
The head of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International has warned that attacks on hospitals and healthcare facilities in conflict zones are increasing, despite global efforts to strengthen protections for medical missions following the bombing of an MSF hospital in Afghanistan a decade ago.
Speaking during a special session at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Laura Leyser, Secretary General of MSF International, recalled the international response to the 2015 U.S. airstrike on an MSF-run trauma hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, which prompted widespread condemnation and led to the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286 on the protection of medical personnel and facilities in armed conflicts.
“There was a big outcry. There was an investigation,” Leyser said. “What has happened since, though, is not a reduction of these cases but, to the contrary, an increasing number of attacks on hospitals and clinics.”
Leyser said more than 1,300 attacks on healthcare facilities were recorded in conflict situations worldwide last year, adding that around 80 percent of those incidents were carried out by state actors.
She said the growing number of attacks has created fear among healthcare workers and humanitarian personnel operating in war zones, making it increasingly difficult to provide lifesaving assistance to civilians.
“This is the reality that civilians face on the ground, and it is the reality that humanitarian organizations such as ours face as well,” she said.
Leyser noted that medical workers in conflict areas often continue their work despite severe shortages of supplies and constant security threats. She said many healthcare staff are afraid to report to work because of the risks posed by ongoing violence.
The MSF chief called on governments and military leaders to ensure greater respect for international humanitarian law and to strengthen accountability for violations.
Her remarks came during discussions involving senior military and security officials from Pakistan, China, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Korea and the International Committee of the Red Cross, who gathered at the Shangri-La Dialogue to examine challenges to global security, including regional conflicts, military competition, crisis management and emerging technologies.
Leyser urged participants to reflect on ways to uphold the minimum standards of international humanitarian law and reduce impunity for attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel during armed conflicts.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has urged spokespersons of all Emirate institutions to intensify efforts aimed at strengthening information dissemination and expanding cooperation with media outlets.
Speaking at a coordination meeting held on Tuesday at the Government Information and Media Center, Mujahid praised the efforts of institutional spokespersons in sharing information and described their role in improving the effectiveness and coordination of public communication as important.
He stressed the need for continued cooperation and called on spokespersons to play a more active role in strengthening government-related content through media platforms and the Parmakhtag website.
Mujahid also highlighted the importance of media in delivering information, raising public awareness, reflecting realities, and strengthening public trust in the government.
Noorullah Noori, Minister of Borders, Ethnic and Tribal Affairs, says that objectives such as establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity in Afghanistan have now been fulfilled, and has called on opponents of the Islamic Emirate living abroad to return to the country.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Noori addressed opponents of the Islamic Emirate, saying: “If your jihad against the Russians was aimed at establishing an Islamic system, ensuring security, and achieving national unity, then today these objectives have been achieved in Afghanistan. Return to your country and present whatever suggestions or opinions you may have.”
Noori added that opponents of the Islamic Emirate based in Turkey, Pakistan, and several other countries should stop claiming that they seek to “liberate Afghanistan,” because Afghanistan is now a free country. He warned that no one will be given permission or the opportunity to cause bloodshed in the country again.
He urged them to come back to Afghanistan and present any proposals or demands they may have regarding the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
He said: “What is your voice, your message, and your demand? Our country has regained its freedom from occupiers, and today there is not a single foreign soldier present anywhere in Afghanistan. So, from whom do you intend to liberate the country? Return to your homeland and put forward your proposals. The people of Afghanistan have learned from the past. Today, not even a single dead body is seen across Afghanistan, and Afghans neither expect to see coffins again, nor will anyone be given the opportunity to cause bloodshed in this country once more.”
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Khalilzad urges Pakistan to heed UN call for dialogue with Afghanistan
His comments came after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces.
Former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has called on Pakistan to respond positively to the United Nations’ appeal for dialogue, saying Afghanistan has consistently sought a diplomatic solution to tensions between the two neighboring countries.
In a post on X, Khalilzad referred to UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call for Afghanistan and Pakistan to end hostilities and resolve their differences through diplomacy.
He said Afghanistan has repeatedly made clear that it prefers dialogue over conflict and has presented several proposals aimed at reducing tensions.
“Will the Pakistani establishment listen to the UN Secretary-General? I hope so, but I am not optimistic,” Khalilzad wrote.
His comments came a day after Guterres urged all parties to protect civilians and comply with international humanitarian law following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Paktia, Paktika and Kunar.
Speaking on behalf of the UN chief, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General was deeply concerned by the escalation and called on both countries to settle their differences through diplomatic means.
“We continue to call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and stress that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times,” Dujarric said.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said numerous civilians were killed and injured in the overnight airstrikes, while humanitarian agencies warned that the attacks had also displaced families and created urgent humanitarian needs.
According to Afghan authorities, at least 36 civilians were killed and more than 160 others wounded in the strikes, with women, children and elderly people among the casualties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemned the strikes as a violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, describing them as a “crime” and a “cowardly act.”
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated sharply in recent months over Durand Line security and militancy, with both sides accusing each other of failing to prevent cross-frontier attacks. The latest exchange has heightened concerns of further escalation, prompting renewed international calls for restraint and dialogue.
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