Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, is an international aid organization which specializes in providing medical care. It was founded in 1971 by doctors and journalists who wanted to provide medical care and atrocity awareness without consideration of national boundaries. ¹

The organization claims to be primarily apolitical, and it credits its ethics and principles for its 1999 receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize. ² However, it publicly supports abortion and other left-leaning causes. ³⁴

Mission and History

Doctors Without Borders was originally founded in 1971 as a “guerilla” organization. However, in 1979 80 percent of its leadership chose to create a “professional” operation. Those against the change created a new group, Doctors of the World. ¹

According to their website, Doctors Without Borders contains a three-part charter: Medical Ethics, Independence from government funding, and Bearing Witness. ⁵ Most of Doctors Without Borders’ work is providing medical care. In 2018, the organization reported nearly 12 million people as seen in outpatient and inpatient capacities in 72 countries. ⁶

In 1999, Dr. James Orbinski accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Doctors Without Borders. He used the platform to condemn Russia’s bombing of Chechnya and to highlight Doctors Without Borders’ refusal to be silent on atrocities while providing humanitarian aid. The prize money was used to create a pilot program for treatments of a number of diseases. ⁷

Left-of-Center Public Advocacy

Refugees and Migration

Doctors Without Borders has made international news for its criticism of migrant treatment by the European Union, particularly by Italy. In 2018, the group worked with SOS Mediterranee to transport refugees from Libya to Italy, but the refugees were turned away due to alleged health concerns. ⁸ Doctors Without Borders condemned this policy and urged the European Union to open its borders to refugees who make dangerous crossings across the Mediterranean Sea to escape Libya’s civil war.

Abortion

The organization also supports such as access to abortion and contraception as part of reducing maternal mortality, especially in African nations where women are at significant risk of dying during childbirth. A March 2019 webinar focused on these two areas of concern as well as obstetric care. ⁹ An op-ed on Doctors Without Borders’ website cites the organization as a provider of abortions, and endorses the principle that “safe abortions save lives.” ¹⁰ Doctors Without Borders’ regularly treats women who survive unsafe and/or illegal abortions.

The group formally opposes bans on abortion at 12 weeks’ gestation and urges governments to set up systems and standards so that women have easier and safer access to abortion. ¹¹ It also opposes the Mexico City Policy signed and expanded by President Donald Trump, arguing that banning international abortion and abortion-related funding harms women in nations like Venezuela, where people are fleeing a political, humanitarian, and economic crisis. Doctors Without Borders notes that the U.S. is the world’s largest provider of “global health funding,” so the Mexico City Policy has a significant impact reducing abortions and abortion referrals around the world. ³

Environmentalism

Doctors Without Borders also supports climate alarmism, blaming climate change for natural disasters in several countries. ⁴ It published a November 2018 report alleging “dramatic health consequences” of climate change on people in crisis situations. ¹² This report cited climate change as a factor which could increase the number of displaced, persecuted, and otherwise endangered people around the world.

Doctors Without Borders has engaged in efforts it claims are vital towards reducing environmental damage and how that damage impacts people’s health, such as opposing certain types of mining in Nigeria. ¹³

Controversies

In 2017, Doctors Without Borders fired 19 people accused of sexual abuse. ¹⁴ The group claimed it publicized the firings to show its transparency and accountability after internal complaints and investigations discovered the allegations had merit. ¹⁴

In 2018, anonymous former staff members claimed that Doctors Without Borders staff were using local prostitutes in war and medical zones, against company policy. ¹⁵

The group also admitted in a report to paying the terrorist group Al-Qaeda for access to people in need. The same reason motivated its apology to the Yemeni government after accusing it of humanitarian violations. Doctors Without Borders said these negotiations and actions were done to ensure its work could be done. ¹⁶

According to an opinion piece published by The New York Post in November 2023, Doctors Without Borders has received criticism for seemingly not strongly condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023 nor the taking of over 200 hostages back into Gaza. The group also refused reports stating that Hamas had used medical facilities and hospitals in Gaza to hold hostages. According to social media, the group only sent out one tweet that criticized Hamas between October and November 2023, but it was used to criticize the Israeli military action conducted within the region following the terrorist attacks. ¹⁷

Financials

Doctors Without Borders has thousands of donors which provided over $394 million in funding in 2017 and over $408 million in 2018. It had almost $238 million in assets in 2018 and employed 30,000 people. ⁶ Expenses totaled almost $427 million in 2018, for a loss of over $14.9 million. ¹⁸

According to its 2022 990 form, the organization’s US branch reported a revenue of $688,743,776, expenses of $649,575,886, and total assets of $436,019,804. ¹⁹

Leadership

Dr. Christos Christou is the international president for Doctors Without Borders, elected to the position in 2019. Joining the organization in 2002 he previously served in several positions with the group’s Greece branch including general secretary, vice-president, and later president of the branch’s board of directors. ²⁰

Avril Benoît is the executive director of Doctors Without Borders’ U.S branch. Working with the organization since 2006, she previously served as director of communications and development at their Geneva office. Prior to working with Doctors Without Borders, she previously worked as a journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). ²¹

Dr. Africa Stewart is the president of Doctors Without Borders’ U.S. Board of Directors. ²² An OB-GYN, she endorses the use of abortion as a means of providing health care. ²³

1. Doctors Without Borders, Founding, Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/history/founding
2. Doctors Without Borders, Principles, Accessed January 18,, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/principles/independence
3. Doctors Without Borders, “Video: US global gag rule cuts access to care for Venezuelan women,” September 26, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/video-us-global-gag-rule-cuts-access-care-venezuelan-women    
4. Avril Benoit, “Climate emergency: A humanitarian call to action,” September 19, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/news/climate-emergency-humanitarian-call-action
5. Doctors Without Borders, Medical ethics, Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/principles/medical-ethics
6. Doctors Without Borders, 2018 Annual Report, November 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/MSF_ANNUAL%20REPORT_2018_Final_Version.pdf
7. Doctors Without Borders, Nobel Peace Prize, Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/history/nobel-peace-prize
8. Doctors Without Borders, “European policies continue to claim lives at sea,” June 12, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/european-policies-continue-claim-lives-sea
9. Doctors Without Borders, “Saving Women’s Lives Webcast: Progress Against Maternal Mortality,” March 20, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2019. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/saving-womens-lives-webcast
10. Manisha Kumar, “I’ve seen with my own eyes, safe abortion saves lives,” September 26, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/ive-seen-my-own-eyes-safe-abortion-saves-lives
11. Doctors Without Borders, “Unsafe abortion: A forgotten emergency,” March 7, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/unsafe-abortion-forgotten-emergency
12. Lancet Countdown, Doctors Without Borders, “Climate change and health: An urgent new frontier for humanitarianism,” November 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/sites/default/files/2019-11/Climate_Change_and_Heatlh.pdf
13. Doctors Without Borders, “A crisis in the making: MSF and the global health impact of climate change,” July 19, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.ca/article/crisis-making-msf-and-global-health-impact-climate-change
14. Luke Baker, “Doctors Without Borders fired 19 people for sexual abuse last year,” February 14, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-oxfam-msf/doctors-without-borders-fired-19-people-for-sexual-abuse-last-year-idUSKCN1FY2QC
15. Anna Adams,” Medicins Sans Frontieres staff ‘used local prostitutes,’” June 21, 2018. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-44523086
16. Guy Gugliotta, “The big dilemma facing Doctors Without Borders,” April 2013. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/the-big-dilemma-facing-doctors-without-borders-4946758/
17. Steinberg, Gerald. “Why Is Doctors without Borders Covering for Hamas in Gaza?” New York Post, November 29, 2023, https://nypost.com/2023/11/29/opinion/why-is-doctors-without-borders-covering-for-hamas-in-gaza/./
18. Doctors Without Borders, 2018 990, Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/sites/default/files/2019-07/2018%20Form%20990%20PUBLIC%20DISCLOSURE%20COPY.pdf
19. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC. 2022. Part I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133433452/202342829349300419/full
20. “The US office.” Doctors Without Borders, Accessed February 27, 2024. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/us-office
21. “Avril Benoît.” Doctors Without Borders, Accessed February 27, 2024. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/us-office/people/avril-benoit
22. Doctors Without Borders, U.S. Board of Directors, Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/who-we-are/us-office/us-board-directors
23. Dr. Africa Stewart, “Fries Prize Award Remarks,” November 4, 2019. Accessed January 18, 2020. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/dr-africa-stewart-fries-prize-award-remarks