The war in Ukraine acts as a catalyst for the resurgence of xenophobic discourse thought to be forgotten, especially when they are hiding behind selective solidarity. Two specialists from Médecins Sans Frontières examine the mechanisms of differentiation in the granting of the right to asylum.

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"Humanitarian corridor". In just a few days, these two words have become a common theme in public speeches about Ukraine, evoking the illusion of an ideal solution to the suffering of people trapped in cities surrounded by Russian forces. However, the imperative need to support any initiative that aims to allow civilians who wish to flee a combat zone should not obscure the political instrumentalisation of which humanitarian corridors are sometimes the object, nor the complexity of their implementation.

A l’aube des premières campagnes de vaccination contre la Covid-19, une formule a largement circulé sur les réseaux sociaux, en substance: «Vivement la sortie d’un nouveau vaccin, qu’on puisse le refuser».

Coronavirus aujourd’hui, Ebola hier, l’épidémiologie des maladies infectieuses reste un impensé des populations et demeure peu enseignée à l’école primaire et secondaire, constate Françoise Duroch de Médecins sans frontières.

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Humanitarian action, as Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) conceives it today, is intended to provide relief to populations in danger, and not to add war to war. It must be – in its discourse but especially in practice – neutral, impartial and independent of political powers or state or personal interests. This means that, as a medical and humanitarian organization, it must be able aid all of those in need, regardless of their side, depending on needs and not on any other criteria. MSF cannot determine who the perpetrators are and who the victims are.

Myanmar is a particularly difficult context for MSF’s humanitarian action: access to those in need is possible "at the cost of a permanent contortion exercise between the respect of our principles as humanitarian actors (...) and the willingness to effectively implement our solidarity". Access to health services remains extremely difficult: In district hospitals and health centers, administrative, logistical and financial barriers, as well as discrimination, make access to health care "almost virtual" for the Burmese....

As part of the preparations for the war in Iraq, a "humanitarian component" is currently being organized by the U.S. government and the military. In this article, Jean-Marc Biquet expresses his concern over the military following humanitarians once again during an armed intervention. According to him, humanitarian action must not have a "hidden agenda", but must remain a process in itself, with the sole objective of alleviating the suffering of populations. Today, however, this action is increasingly subject to the political objectives of certain governments.