Mass murder on the streets of Central African Republic, says Médecins Sans Frontière

 

Since early this morning there have been violent clashes, shooting and explosions in a number of areas of Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic.  Armed groups have launched an offensive on the city. The ex-Seleka forces have retaliated. There are dead bodies in the streets, according to Médecins Sans Frontières in Bangui. 

Médecins Sans Frontières staff have arrived at the city’s Hôpital Communautaire and the Hôpital de l’Amitié to reinforce the medical teams there and help them deal with an influx of wounded people. 

A team of 16 Médecins Sans Frontières medical personnel is now working in the facility’s emergency rooms, operating theatre and wards. The teams here have treated 90 wounded people in the emergency room. About 70 have serious injuries – seven have gone straight into the operating theatre, reports Thomas Curbillon, Médecins Sans Frontières head of mission. 

 Most patients have wounds caused by gunshots, or weapons like machetes and knives.   Fifty corpses were taken directly to the hospital morgue. 

This morning, another Médecins Sans Frontières team of three was working at the Bangui’s Hôpital de l’Amitié, triaging the wounded and sending those with the most serious wounds to a Hôpital Communautaire. 

“At midday, the fighting with heavy artillery seemed to have trailed off, but we are still hearing gunshots every so often.

 

For the time being, the hospitals are operational and there is electricity and running water,” says Thomas Curbillon.

 

“But we’re watching how the situation develops and we’ll adapt our activities if necessary”. Médecins Sans Frontières is also prepared to donate surgical materials, medicines, fuel or water, if needed, to a other health centres and hospitals in the city.

 

Outside of the capital, Médecins Sans Frontières has launched emergency activities to respond to medical and humanitarian needs caused by unprecedented levels of violence which has led thousands of people to flee from their homes and villages.

 

“We are extremely concerned about the high numbers of civilian patients our teams are treating, who have sustained bullet, machete and knife wounds.  These patients include young children,” says Jane-Ann McKenna, Director of Médecins Sans Frontières Ireland.