MSF Statement on access to asylum seekers and refugees in Manus Island transit centers

The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities to allow access to the asylum seekers and refugees in Manus Island transit centers, in order to assess refugees’ conditions and provide essential medical care.

On Sunday, November 19, MSF received written authorization from PNG authorities to assess the medical conditions of refugees and asylum seekers inside the officially-closed Regional Processing Centre (RPC). Accordingly, a team of two doctors and a water and sanitation specialist were on standby on Manus Island since Wednesday November 22. On Friday November 24, PNG police removed hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers who remained inside the RPC. However, despite MSF receiving authorization, MSF was never granted access by the time the 328 remaining men in the center were removed and sent to alternative transit centers on Friday. MSF has not been granted access to any transit centers.

“As a humanitarian and medical professional, I am very concerned by the fate of the refugees and people seeking asylum in Manus Island’s transit centers,” said Dr. Stewart Condon, member of the MSF team who traveled to Manus and president of MSF Australia. “They reportedly have had limited access to food and water for the last three weeks. Some of them have been living in detention for four years with likely impact on their mental health.”

On Thursday, November 23, the MSF team met one man who was later taken by ambulance from the RPC to Lorengau General Hospital. He appeared to be dehydrated, malnourished, and showed signs of severe depression. The team was not able to speak with him for any length of time and are following up on his progress.

“MSF remains concerned about whether the medical and psychological needs of the men are being met, and whether the local structures have the capacity to care for them,” Dr. Condon said. “The situation here is volatile and we remain on standby to give any medical humanitarian support we can.”

Original source: Médecins Sans Frontières
Published on 26 November 2017