The Right Honourable Jean ChrÈtien
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
Dear Prime Minister Chrétien;
We are compelled to respond with heart felt sympathy for the countless
American
citizens who died a most horrific death on September 11, 2001. Our
deepest
condolences are offered to all who died, and to their families and
friends.
Just as we are deeply affected by the loss of civilian life in the United
States, we are equally concerned with the need for governments to unambiguously
ensure that the dignity and rights of all civilians everywhere are
fully
respected and protected.
While our field operations have certainly been affected by the events
of the
last week, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) continues to
offer humanitarian
assistance as we are able. Canadian expatriates are fully involved
in these
efforts. At this time in Afghanistan for example, MSF continues its
measles
vaccination campaigns and is caring for patients in feeding centres
in Bala
Morghab. In Herat, we continue to support the paediatric hospital as
well as
therapeutic feeding centres in a camp for 150,000 internally displaced
people.
However in Herat, we are gravely concerned about the critical shortage
of food,
now that the World Food Programme has suspended its food distribution
activities. In Kandahar we are supporting health services as best we
can despite
the current situation. In Afghanistan today, we are deeply concerned
about an
exacerbation of an already critical humanitarian situation brought
on by
years of civil war and recent drought. The risk of a military action
in response
to the tragic events in the United States last week means that people
are on the
move, without adequate food, water or shelter, and we fear for their
safety and
protection.
We are also continuing our work under very difficult and changing circumstances
in Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kashmir, Sudan, Chechnya, Somalia
and
elsewhere. MSF will continue this work without discrimination, according
to the
principles of impartiality and neutrality, and independently of all
religious,
economic and political influence.
Given current circumstances, and as the call to war grows, MSF Canada
is looking
to the Canadian government to publicly and unambiguously insist that
all state
obligations to adhere to international humanitarian law are honoured.
Only
states can impose respect for international humanitarian law. This
law of
conflict establishes rights, including protection, for all victims
of conflict.
It also establishes rights for humanitarian organizations. It fixes
the
responsibility of states to ensure respect for these rights, and to
sanction
their violations appropriately. Not only must states recognize and
honour their
obligations to humanitarian assistance and protection, they must also
recognize
their responsibility to ensure that humanitarian organizations can
act
independently to provide humanitarian assistance impartially and without
discrimination to any and all victims of conflict.
We urge you to immediately take a strong public position in this
regard, as
well as in all relevant discussions with other world leaders.
cc: John Manley, Minister, Foreign Affairs and International Trade
cc: Elissa Golberg, Humanitarian Affairs, DFAIT