NATO ‘Horrific Bombing’ of Afghan Clinic Kills Many Medical Staff

MSF strongly condemns aerial bombardment of Kunduz clinic

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has condemned in the strongest possible terms deadly airstrikes on its clinic in Kunduz, Afghanistan.

At least nine MSF staff were killed in the attack and many were unaccounted for, as of posting.

The strikes continued for more than 30 minutes after the US and Afghan authorities were informed of its location, said the Medical charity.

NATO has admitted that US forces were conducting aerial bombardment at the time, and that the clinic may have been hit, said reports.

“US forces conducted an air strike in Kunduz city at 02:15… against individuals threatening the forces,” said a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan.

“The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility,” he said

Dozens of people were seriously injured, including 19 MSF staff, said the NGO.

Statement by MSF

MSF had informed all fighting parties of hospital GPS coordinates

MSF condemns in the strongest possible terms the horrific bombing of its hospital in Kunduz full of staff and patients. MSF wishes to clarify that all parties to the conflict, including in Kabul and Washington, were clearly informed of the precise location (GPS Coordinates) of the MSF facilities – hospital, guest-house, office and an outreach stabilization unit in Chardara (to the north-west of Kunduz). As MSF does in all conflict contexts, these precise locations were communicated to all parties on multiple occasions over the past months, including most recently on 29 September.

The bombing continued for more than 30 minutes after American and Afghan military officials in Kabul and Washington were first informed. MSF urgently seeks clarity on exactly what took place and how this terrible event could have happened.