PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistani authorities have asked the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group to close its medical facilities in a militancy-wracked tribal district, the organization said, as officials tighten controls on foreign NGOs working in the country.
MSF said the government has refused to renew the permit required to continue its health care projects in Kurram district in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) located in the restive northwest along the Afghan border.
“MSF is saddened by the decision from the authorities responsible for NGOs working in Kurram Agency,” Catherine Moody, the group’s country representative, said in a statement released late Wednesday.
The tribal districts are among the poorest areas in Pakistan, and are governed under a draconian legal system introduced by British colonial rulers more than a century ago.
A senior government official in Kurram confirmed that MSF has been asked to stop working in the district after its permit expired.
“They have been asked to stop working until their (permit) is renewed,” the official told AFP Thursday, adding that authorities have been paying closer attention to foreign NGOs across the country, especially in tribal areas.
The organization said officials have not explained why their permit was refused in an area where its has been providing health care for 14 years.
Although violence in Pakistan and its tribal districts has declined in recent years following a series of military offensives against insurgents, Kurram has remained a top target for militant groups.
Parachinar, the capital of the mainly Shiite Kurram tribal district became a scene of carnage in June when twin blasts ripped through a crowded market days ahead of Eid celebrations marking the end of Ramadan, killing 69 people and wounding more than 200.
The attack was the third major bombing to strike the area since January, with 115 people killed in total — the highest in Pakistan.
Inhabitants in the tribal belt have long complained its development and security has been neglected by Islamabad, which also appoints administrators with sweeping powers including the prerogative to collectively punish entire clans for the crime of an individual.
MSF has been working in Kurram since 2004 where it was responsible for an outpatient department for children under five years and an inpatient department for severely ill children up to 12 years of age.
“We will, as much as possible continue to provide obstetric and newborn services to the women of FATA through the MSF women’s hospital located in Peshawar,” the statement said.
The group has a long history in Pakistan, working with communities affected by natural disasters, conflicts and insufficient health care facilities for over 30 years.
Pakistan ejects MSF from militancy-hit tribal district
Pakistan ejects MSF from militancy-hit tribal district
Greece warns shipping fleet of risks after Black Sea drone attacks
- Greek-operated ships are among the world’s largest fleets of tankers and are pivotal for trade across the Black Sea region
- War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have jumped this week
ATHENS: Greece has warned its shipping fleet to review their security measures when sailing to Russian Black Sea ports after drone attacks on two Greek-operated tankers this week, according to shipping ministry adviseries.
Drones struck two oil tankers on Tuesday, including one chartered by US oil major Chevron, as they sailed toward a Black Sea terminal on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Greek-operated ships are among the world’s largest fleets of tankers and are pivotal for trade across the Black Sea region, whose waters are shared by Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania and Turkiye, as well as warring Russia and Ukraine.
“It is recommended that the security managers of shipping companies, the masters and the security officers of Greek ships proceed with an updated threat assessment for commercial ships located in the Black Sea and the maritime areas close to it,” the shipping ministry said in one of the documents seen by Reuters that were issued after the attacks.
War insurance costs for ships sailing to the Black Sea have jumped this week, reflecting the worsening risk environment.
One of the tankers targeted on Tuesday was Matilda, which was managed by Greece’s Thenamaris and hit by two drones.
While there were no injuries or serious damage to the vessel, a Thenamaris official said that the company had since then stepped up additional precautionary security measures and advised crew on their vessels to increase vigilance and avoid unnecessary exposure, mainly movement on the deck.
The ministry referred shipping companies to an earlier document published in April 2022 that recommended that additional protective security measures be maintained for a certain period as a result of increased risk for the Russian Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk, Taman, Tuapse and Kavkaz.
