Panama has had enough of the Doctors Without Borders non-governmental organization (NGO), which is reportedly engaged in shady behavior ...
Panama has had enough of the Doctors Without Borders non-governmental organization (NGO), which is reportedly engaged in shady behavior south of the border.
After discovering corruption and lack of staffing at Doctors Without Borders tents in migrant camps, a team from Operation Burning Edge provided Panamanian officials with the evidence they needed to kick the NGO out of the country.
"The take down [sic] of this corrupt NGO means one NGO down 63 to go," tweeted Ann Vandersteel, information war correspondent at Operation Burning Edge.
"This bold move should be heralded as just due to the serious concern the Panamanians have with respect to the illegal invasion, money laundering and corruption that comes with these @UN funded NGOs," Vandersteel added, further referring to Doctors Without Borders as Doctors Without Morals – check out the video below:
Doctors Without Borders defends itself
In its own reporting, Doctors Without Borders reported that getting kicked out of Panama "will be devastating for migrants exiting the treacherous Darien Gap, including many victims of sexual violence."
In compliance with the demands of Panamanian authorities, Doctors Without Borders has ceased all activities in the area, which the group says will mean a lack of medical care for migrants leaving Darien Gap.
"We are concerned about the consequences that the suspension of our activities will have on people on the move through the Darien Gap – a treacherous forest region and the only land route for people migrating north," Doctors Without Borders reported, noting that it tried to renew its agreement with Panama's Ministry of Health back in October, but to no avail.
"MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres, another name for Doctors Without Borders) teams provide medical and psychological health care to an average of 5,000 people per month at the San Vicente and Lajas Blancas migrant reception centers in southern Panama."
Doctors Without Borders says its primary focus centers around treating victims of sexual violence. In 2023, the group says it provided "comprehensive medical care" to 676 people who experienced sexual violence while trekking along the Darien Gap section of migration.
So far in 2024, Doctors Without Borders says it is seeing an increase in sexual violence survivors crossing the Darien Gap. In January alone, the NGO says it provided care to 120 people who succumbed to sexual violence.
"In just one week in February, MSF teams treated 113 people – including nine children – after they were sexually assaulted by armed groups operating in the Darien," the group maintains.
Doctors Without Borders says it hopes to resume operations at the San Vicente migrant camp, as well as at the Lajas Blancas migrant camp, as soon as possible – though it appears that will not happen if Operation Burning Edge's claims hold weight.
"In 2023, our teams in Panama provided 59,877 medical consultations (35 percent were patients under 15 years of age and 53 percent were women and girls), 2,978 mental health consultations, and performed 24,762 first aid consultations to people exiting the Darién Gap," Doctors Without Borders claims.
"MSF assists people at different points along the migration route between South America, Central America, Mexico and the United States. We provide free and confidential support to people on the move."
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