Doctors Without Borders

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

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

Israel-Hamas War in Gaza

On January 6, 2026, Doctors Without Borders was ordered to end all operations within Gaza due to allegedly failing to meet requirements imposed by the Israeli government including registering all Gaza-born employees as well as limiting criticisms of the State of Israel. According to the organization, as of January 2026 the group can no longer bring in supplies, doctors, or international aid workers into the region while being given until March to end all operations within Gaza. The group was one of several NGO’s to refuse complying with a 2025 Israeli regulation asking for the names and identification numbers of all Palestinian workers aid NGO’s employ, claiming that such a regulation violated “workers’ privacy rights as well as European data-protection rules…” ¹⁴

Controversies

In 2017, Doctors Without Borders fired 19 people accused of sexual abuse. ¹⁵ The group claimed it publicized the firings to show its transparency and accountability after internal complaints and investigations discovered the allegations had merit. ¹⁵

In 2018, anonymous former staff members claimed that Doctors Without Borders staff were using local prostitutes in war and medical zones, against company policy. ¹⁶

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. ¹⁷

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. ¹⁸

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. ¹⁹

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. ²⁰

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. ²¹

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). ²²

Dr. Africa Stewart is the president of Doctors Without Borders’ U.S. Board of Directors. ²³ An OB-GYN, she endorses the use of abortion as a means of providing health care. ²⁴