2015年CRI Doctors Without Borders International President Visits China

In recent months, the Syrian conflict and other unrest have caused an unprecedented 1 influx 2 of migrants to Europe. Dr. Joanne Liu says Doctors without Borders, or MSF by its French name Médecins Sans Frontières, has been actively 3 providing aid to migrants and refugees, both in their home countries and in Europe.

"We are working actually in all the neighboring countries of Syria, so we have worked in refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan since the beginning of the conflict. But as well, we have been working in Greece, where people are landing from the Agean Sea. We have been doing as well some rescue activities in the sea. We have accompanied as well the migrant and refugees flow across Europe."

Recent airstrikes in war-torn areas have brought significant risks for MSF-run hospitals. Within the last week, two of its clinics were bombed in Syria and Yemen. In October, a US airstrike hit an MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan and killed 30 people. The US military has said the attack was partially 4 due to "human errors."

Liu says the US investigation 5 does not provide comfort or assurance to MSF about its future safety in war zones, adding that MSF needs further information to better protect its staff.

"We would like to make sure we went to the bottom of that story. After that, we would like to have an open and honest discussion with the US and other nations today at war to discuss and agree on what are the rules of the game in war zones. We are taking for granted that the rules of the game are the application of the Geneva Conventions."

The treaties of the Geneva Conventions were established in 1949 regarding wartime humanitarian 6 issues. She says the US investigation of the bombing showed some of the US rules of engagement differed from those of the Geneva Conventions treaties.

Since last year, MSF has been highly recognized internationally for its contribution to the recent global fight against the Ebola crisis.

While talking about that particular episode, Dr. Liu praised China for its active participation 7 in defeating Ebola.

"MSF has being ringing the alarm in the early quarters of 2014. It was very difficult to get traction 8 from the international community. We came and discussed on different occasions with the Chinese authority. China has responded to the call, in terms of providing equipment and a laboratory, as well as caring for patients in an Ebola treatment center. Of all the nations we have called upon, China is one of the exceptions that have sent doctors in the field to care for Eloba-infected patients."

Commenting on the recent Nobel Prize for medicine given to Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, Dr. Liu said Tu's malaria 9 research has a significant impact on treatment methods.

"Her work is a game changer in terms of treatment for Malaria. Actually MSF as an international organization has been pushing for the change of protocols 10 for the treatment of Malaria. So for us, we are very very supportive. Particularly on a personal level, I'm quite happy that the work of Tu Youyou has been recognized finally after all those years."

Dr. Liu arrived in Beijing on Sunday for a six-day and her first official visit to China.