Update on the two Médecins Sans Frontières staff abducted in Kenya

Yesterday, Thursday October 13, a Médecins Sans Frontières team suffered an attack in Dadaab, Kenya. One of the Médecins Sans Frontières drivers, Mohamed Hassan Borle, age 31, was injured during this attack; his medical condition is stable, he is out of danger and remains hospitalized. Two international staff, both Spanish, were taken. As yet, Médecins Sans Frontières has not been able to establish contact with the two staff taken.

A crisis team has been set up to deal with this incident. 

The two Spanish colleagues abducted are Montserrat Serra, age 40, from Girona (Palafrugell) and Blanca Thiebaut, age 30, from Madrid, both working as logisticians for Médecins Sans Frontières in the Dadaab refugee camp. Their families have been informed. Médecins Sans Frontières is calling on all media to respect the privacy of the families in this difficult time.

"We are in regular contact with the families of our colleagues involved and relevant authorities since the first moments. We are doing all we can to ensure their safe and swift return. Our thoughts are with them and their families", says José Antonio Bastos, president of Médecins Sans Frontières in Spain.

Following the attack, Médecins Sans Frontières has evacuated part of its team working in Dagahaley and Ifo, two of the three refugee camps in Dadaab. As a consequence, crucial medical activities had to be stopped. However, Médecins Sans Frontières is still maintaining its life-saving activities.

This attack is jeopardizing the assistance to thousands of people in urgent need of humanitarian aid and a quick and satisfactory solution is necessary.

These incidents call for prudence and discretion.  In order to facilitate the best and swiftest resolution of the incident, Médecins Sans Frontières will not provide further information for the moment nor will it comment on statements, rumors or public information related to it. Médecins Sans Frontières is also calling on all actors involved to refrain from commenting publicly about this incident. “The current publicity around the incident is particularly unhelpful, for it can only hurt the families and jeopardize efforts to get our colleagues back”, says Bastos.

Médecins Sans Frontières started providing medical assistance in Dadaab in 2009.

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 Two Médecins Sans Frontières staff abducted in Kenya - 14-10-11 09:14