By Thierry Coppens
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), I congratulate the new administration and send my best wishes for your five-year term.
MSF is one of the leading independent medical humanitarian organizations providing medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.
Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organization working in more than 70 countries in the world.
As the new administration gets into the third month since its inauguration in May, I would like to call to your attention to South Korea's humanitarian responsibilities for vulnerable populations affected by global crises.
Global inequality in access to COVID-19 tools
MSF continues to witness severe inequity in access to COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other treatment and prevention measures in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where we work.
Despite early promises made by world leaders and international organizations, a lack of global solidarity and insufficient governance of temporary global mechanisms, combined with ineffective systems for global allocation, have enabled nationalistic hoarding of vaccines and other supplies.
South Korea played a significant role during the early COVID-19 pandemic, displaying the ability to produce essential diagnostic tools, and providing financial and in-kind contributions.
Considering South Korea's contribution as a part of the global cooperation for global health and the increased funding for global mechanisms, I believe South Korea is well-positioned to push for public investments to be translated into meaningful access to medical products in LMICs.
South Korea also can contribute to the capacity-building efforts in LMICs, both from the government and industry ― with policymakers creating a conducive environment for the industries to forge new partnerships in recipient countries.
The Korean government and bioindustry can help build capacity for local partners in LMICs and play an active role in sharing knowledge and waiving intellectual property rights to allow large-scale production and equitable access, as well as promote the adequate and fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
Climate crisis as a humanitarian emergency
The climate crisis requires action now. In multiple countries where MSF teams work, the climate emergency poses a great threat to human health in contexts where people already lack access to, or are excluded from, basic healthcare.
Climate crisis not only aggravates existing vulnerabilities that will first impact patients excluded from basic healthcare, but also exacerbates already dire humanitarian situations; it is already a burden for the vulnerable around the globe.
The health impacts of the climate emergency include: the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and diverse infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue and cholera, as a result of changing rainfall and temperature patterns; extreme weather events including cyclones and hurricanes; and prolonged droughts causing malnutrition and food insecurity.
Unless urgent actions are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts will be disastrous to both humans and the planet.
MSF expects South Korea's immediate efforts to reduce carbon emissions in tandem with other countries and international entities and to adopt a lens of planetary health in relevant policies and responses to mitigate climate disasters in the world's most vulnerable regions. Our healthy future depends on the wellbeing of the planet, and the wellbeing of the planet depends on how we act.
Protracted humanitarian crises
The U.N. OCHA estimates that 274 million people hit by underfunded crises will need urgent assistance in 2022. Seven years have passed since the escalation of conflict in Yemen. The war in Syria has reached its 11th anniversary this year. Approximately 1.1 million Rohingya refugees are dwelling in deteriorating and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Children and other vulnerable populations are suffering in Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Libya and many more other countries. Amid the pandemic and war in Ukraine, we must not forget that there are protracted and forgotten crises in the world that are only anticipated to exacerbate, especially regarding food insecurity.
Urgent actions need to be taken to avert looming humanitarian catastrophes, and MSF would like to see South Korea taking on a principal role to act on improving the humanitarian conditions of the people affected by neglected crises.
Travel bans hindering humanitarian activities
South Korea has been implementing a travel ban policy on a list of countries for over a decade. This ban significantly hinders the freedom of movement of humanitarian actors essential to the exercise of their functions as recognized under customary international law applicable to both international and non-international armed conflicts.
The skills, experience and humanitarian engagement of South Korean nationals working under the MSF charter can make a valuable difference to populations in need. For this purpose, full access to all those in need is a prerequisite to humanitarian action, and ensuring the freedom of movement is a corollary to this.
In addition, travel bans should not be implemented in a manner that criminalize, impede, limit or otherwise restrict the exclusively humanitarian activities of impartial humanitarian actors conducted pursuant to International Humanitarian Law. We strongly encourage the South Korean government to reconsider its travel ban policy and allow humanitarian organizations to fulfill their duties.
In recent years, South Korea has successfully transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor country at an unprecedented speed. South Korea has now assumed the responsibility to cooperate with numerous LMICs in tackling COVID-19, the climate emergency and humanitarian crises.
MSF hopes to see the new administration embrace a humanitarian agenda for the next five years. We look forward to having constructive dialogues with you to discuss the means to assist the most vulnerable people in the world.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Thierry Coppens
The writer is the general director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders Korea.
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On behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), I congratulate the new administration and send my best wishes for your five-year term.
MSF is one of the leading independent medical humanitarian organizations providing medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare.
Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organization working in more than 70 countries in the world.
As the new administration gets into the third month since its inauguration in May, I would like to call to your attention to South Korea's humanitarian responsibilities for vulnerable populations affected by global crises.
Global inequality in access to COVID-19 tools
MSF continues to witness severe inequity in access to COVID-19 vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and other treatment and prevention measures in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where we work.
Despite early promises made by world leaders and international organizations, a lack of global solidarity and insufficient governance of temporary global mechanisms, combined with ineffective systems for global allocation, have enabled nationalistic hoarding of vaccines and other supplies.
South Korea played a significant role during the early COVID-19 pandemic, displaying the ability to produce essential diagnostic tools, and providing financial and in-kind contributions.
Considering South Korea's contribution as a part of the global cooperation for global health and the increased funding for global mechanisms, I believe South Korea is well-positioned to push for public investments to be translated into meaningful access to medical products in LMICs.
South Korea also can contribute to the capacity-building efforts in LMICs, both from the government and industry ― with policymakers creating a conducive environment for the industries to forge new partnerships in recipient countries.
The Korean government and bioindustry can help build capacity for local partners in LMICs and play an active role in sharing knowledge and waiving intellectual property rights to allow large-scale production and equitable access, as well as promote the adequate and fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics.
Climate crisis as a humanitarian emergency
The climate crisis requires action now. In multiple countries where MSF teams work, the climate emergency poses a great threat to human health in contexts where people already lack access to, or are excluded from, basic healthcare.
Climate crisis not only aggravates existing vulnerabilities that will first impact patients excluded from basic healthcare, but also exacerbates already dire humanitarian situations; it is already a burden for the vulnerable around the globe.
The health impacts of the climate emergency include: the prevalence of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and diverse infectious diseases, such as malaria, dengue and cholera, as a result of changing rainfall and temperature patterns; extreme weather events including cyclones and hurricanes; and prolonged droughts causing malnutrition and food insecurity.
Unless urgent actions are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the impacts will be disastrous to both humans and the planet.
MSF expects South Korea's immediate efforts to reduce carbon emissions in tandem with other countries and international entities and to adopt a lens of planetary health in relevant policies and responses to mitigate climate disasters in the world's most vulnerable regions. Our healthy future depends on the wellbeing of the planet, and the wellbeing of the planet depends on how we act.
Protracted humanitarian crises
The U.N. OCHA estimates that 274 million people hit by underfunded crises will need urgent assistance in 2022. Seven years have passed since the escalation of conflict in Yemen. The war in Syria has reached its 11th anniversary this year. Approximately 1.1 million Rohingya refugees are dwelling in deteriorating and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Children and other vulnerable populations are suffering in Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Libya and many more other countries. Amid the pandemic and war in Ukraine, we must not forget that there are protracted and forgotten crises in the world that are only anticipated to exacerbate, especially regarding food insecurity.
Urgent actions need to be taken to avert looming humanitarian catastrophes, and MSF would like to see South Korea taking on a principal role to act on improving the humanitarian conditions of the people affected by neglected crises.
Travel bans hindering humanitarian activities
South Korea has been implementing a travel ban policy on a list of countries for over a decade. This ban significantly hinders the freedom of movement of humanitarian actors essential to the exercise of their functions as recognized under customary international law applicable to both international and non-international armed conflicts.
The skills, experience and humanitarian engagement of South Korean nationals working under the MSF charter can make a valuable difference to populations in need. For this purpose, full access to all those in need is a prerequisite to humanitarian action, and ensuring the freedom of movement is a corollary to this.
In addition, travel bans should not be implemented in a manner that criminalize, impede, limit or otherwise restrict the exclusively humanitarian activities of impartial humanitarian actors conducted pursuant to International Humanitarian Law. We strongly encourage the South Korean government to reconsider its travel ban policy and allow humanitarian organizations to fulfill their duties.
In recent years, South Korea has successfully transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor country at an unprecedented speed. South Korea has now assumed the responsibility to cooperate with numerous LMICs in tackling COVID-19, the climate emergency and humanitarian crises.
MSF hopes to see the new administration embrace a humanitarian agenda for the next five years. We look forward to having constructive dialogues with you to discuss the means to assist the most vulnerable people in the world.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Thierry Coppens
The writer is the general director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors Without Borders Korea.
