This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
On July 7, 2021, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, announced that it had suspended humanitarian operations in several parts of central and eastern Tigray.
The decision came after the brutal killings of three MSF staff members, Maria Hernandez, Yohannes Halefom Tedros Gebremariam Gebremichael, and another Ethiopian staff member, on June 24, 2021, while on a humanitarian mission in Abi-Adi.
"It has been almost two weeks since the murders of our colleagues. No one has claimed responsibility and the circumstances around their deaths remain unclear," said MSF operations director Teresa Sancristoval.
MSF demanded an immediate investigation by relevant parties to establish the facts of the incident and to provide a detailed account of what happened and who was responsible.
"At this terrible time, we have made the extremely painful but necessary decision to suspend our activities in several areas of Tigray," Sancristoval added.
She emphasized that for MSF and other aid organizations to continue working in Tigray and other parts of the country, all parties to the conflict must provide assurances that this work can be carried out safely.
"Parties to the conflict must take responsibility for ensuring that an incident like the murder of our colleagues never happens again," Sancristoval said.
