MSF calls for providing assistance to those in need at Polish-Belarusian border

“The ban acts like a blindfold. We do not know what is happening in the densely forested area between Poland and Belarus. And we cannot help the people we cannot see,” says Andreas Spaett, head of MSF’s humanitarian activities in Poland. “All people seeking protection in Poland should be treated with humanity and dignity. Access should be provided to all humanitarian organisations.”

The recent developments, including the ban on entry to the border area, will have life-threatening consequences for people who are unable to obtain the necessary humanitarian and medical assistance. Without access for civil society organisations to the buffer zone, acute needs are not met.

In the first six months of 2024, MSF conducted 99 interventions in the border zone and provided urgent medical assistance to 142 people suffering from extreme exhaustion, gastrointestinal infections and injuries related to violence (including deep cuts, bruises and suspected fractures). This included referring 32 patients to hospital for general exhaustion, hypothermia, dehydration, wounds/orthopaedic conditions, worsening chronic diseases, psychological distress, and women in pregnancy. Most individuals treated by MSF report having been stranded in the forested stretch of land between the two border fences, referred to by refugees as the ‘death zone’, for an average of 21 days, and for some up to 90 days, with limited access to food or water. In this harsh context, medical problems can lead to rapid deterioration of people’s health and can be life-threatening if they do not receive timely assistance and medical care.

Considering the humanitarian and medical concerns raised above, MSF calls upon the Polish authorities to fundamentally change course and take all necessary measures to ensure that individuals seeking protection in Poland are treated with humanity and dignity. This includes:  

1. Ensure that all people in need can access humanitarian assistance, medical care and asylum procedures;  
2. Safeguard independent humanitarian and civil society access to the entire border area, including buffer zone, an imperative to delivering lifesaving assistance to people in need;  
3. Reconsider legal amendments, which risk providing further legitimacy to the use of violent practices at the border;  
4. End harmful narratives around humanitarian aid activities as well as those rooted in the dehumanisation and securitisation of people seeking protection.