Latest news with #DoctorsWithoutBorders
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Social media star Garron Noone makes major announcement on his page
Social media star Garron Noone has announced he will be taking a step back from social media to work on some new projects. The TikTok sensation, known for his videos signed off with the trademark "I'm delicious" line, told his thousands of followers he would be saying a "little goodbye" as he looks to new projects over the coming weeks. The Mayo man shared that he has been "putting a lot of pressure" on himself over the last two and a half years, posting content daily on his page. "I'm going to be saying a little goodbye to you today, just a tiny little goodbye - just maybe for a couple of months," Garron Noone told his followers in a video on Thursday. "I just need to take a small little social media break. I've been posting videos pretty much every day for the last two and a half years and it's been my great for fu**ing pleasure to do so. "There's a lot of ideas I have that I want to work on, I have a few gigs coming up and some other bits so I kind of need to put my focus there for a little while. "And to be honest with you, I've been putting a lot of pressure on myself trying to feel like I'm worthy of the numbers of people who are watching the videos and all that, and I think I just need to get me head over the game for a little while and I'll come back nice and fresh with me lovely new ideas and have great craic together. "I want to thank you from the bottom of my c**t of a soul for everything you've given me over the last few years. "All of the opportunities, all of the people I've got to meet, everything good has come from you and I really f**king appreciate it and you'll never understand how much I do." Garron also told his followers that he would be making a €10,000 donation to Doctors Without Borders as a "parting gift". "To thank you, I want to leave you with a bit of a parting gift. A lot of the money that I make from social media I like to put it in a pot and give it to charity. "And I don't believe that money is coming from me, it's coming from you, the people that watch so thank you so much for that. "It's been able to help with animals and homelessness and all sorts of important things and today I want to make a €10,000 donation to Doctors Without Borders. "There's a lot going on in the world at the moment, I know you're hearing about that everywhere, you probably don't want to hear about it from me, but they do excellent humanitarian work."
The National
a day ago
- Health
- The National
MSF chief warns of Israeli push to confine medics in Gaza to field hospitals
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) secretary general Christopher Lockyear has voiced concern over what he described as an Israeli attempt to push Gaza medical teams into field hospitals instead of established buildings. The aim, he said, appears to be greater control over who receives treatment, echoing a disastrous aid distribution strategy via an Israeli-US channel that has led to the deaths of dozens of hungry residents. In an exclusive interview with The National in Abu Dhabi, Mr Lockyear appealed for all nations to use economic, political and diplomatic pressure to stop the "pattern of genocide and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza after the destruction of its health system. You go to these distributions because you're desperate, you may return with a bag of flour, you may return with a shroud Christopher Lockyear, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) 'We are fearful that we could become part of that broader strategy by moving out of these bigger established hospitals into field hospitals,' he told The National in an exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi. 'It gives the impression that the situation is manageable because you can run a hospital. But that is a much, much lower capacity than previously. And we don't want to be part of destroying the infrastructure of the society of Gaza". Israel's war in Gaza has entered its 20th month, with no signs of slowing down. More than 55,600 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, despite attempts to reach a ceasefire with Hamas. Israeli officials have made it clear the war will not stop until Hamas is eliminated and the hostages abducted on October 7 are returned, even as hunger threatens two million Gazans. The health sector has borne one of the heaviest costs. Israel's army has systematically attacked hospitals and clinics, accusing Hamas of using them as military launchpads and intelligence centres, often with little or no evidence. 'We no longer talk of a health system in Gaza,' said Mr Lockyear. "The health system has been systematically targeted, destroyed. The only remaining partially functional referral hospital, the Gaza hospital itself, we're supporting them. 'We had to move the surgical support out of that hospital just a few days ago. We're working in a series of field hospitals but it's impossible to provide what is needed. There's a major effort there but it's nowhere near what is needed.' Abuse of humanitarian action Similar to food, medical equipment has been largely restricted. 'We've managed to bring in a trickle of medical supplies over the last few weeks' said the secretary general. "But the supplies are dwindling. And as a consequence of that, we have to reduce, for example, how often we're changing people's dressings, which increases the rate of infection." What our teams are witnessing on a daily basis is patterns of genocide and ethnic cleansing Christopher Lockyear He sharply criticised the aid system now being overseen by Israel, one that has led to the killing of dozens of Palestinians attempting to receive the basics to survive in what he called humiliating circumstances. 'What we're seeing in terms of aid delivery at the moment in Gaza, through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, I would say is not humanitarian. This is an approach to aid that we completely reject. Why do we reject it? Well, it's a militarised, politicised form of giving assistance,' he said. 'The way that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is carrying out the work in Gaza is following a repeated and systematic abuse of the terms 'humanitarian' and 'humanitarian action'. One member of our staff said the other day, 'you go to these distributions because you're desperate, you may return with a bag of flour, you may return with a shroud.'' MSF is currently operating in Gaza with a force of about 300, most of them local. But it has lost 11 staff members in the fighting and others face complex situations and endless obstacles to carrying out their work. Mr Lockyear stressed that humanitarian aid, especially from a medical perspective, is about much more than supplies. 'It's about having facilities where there is electricity, running water and fuel,' he explained, all of which barely exist now. 'I would say it's also about having staff who are fed, who have slept, who are able to carry out operations and procedures on people. And we have staff who are themselves in the hospital because of spreading disease, because of hunger, because of starvation," the MSF chief said. 'What our teams are witnessing on a daily basis is patterns of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the destruction of the health system and the destruction of infrastructure as a whole. So this needs to stop. We're appealing to all states to use their economic, political and diplomatic pressure to stop this carnage.' War on people With the Israeli war on Iran escalating, there are fears the war in Gaza could be pushed off the radar, even as hundreds remain under fire. More than 250 people have been killed by the Israeli army since Friday, when Israel launched a serious assault on Iran. Another place at risk of being forgotten is Sudan, where hundreds of thousands have died in the civil conflict. 'It's really hard to get coverage on Sudan at any time, but one of the consequences of what's happening in and around Iran and Israel over the last few days is that they could make it even harder to get eyes on what's happening in Sudan,' Mr Lockyear warned. 'It's been a war on people. The level of violence by both sides of this conflict – or all sides – has been absolutely horrendous. The way this war is being conducted is utterly horrific. "The health system in Sudan is – I wouldn't say on its knees – it's in a desperate situation and there needs to be humanitarian actors there to support that response.' From Gaza to Sudan and Syria, recent Middle East conflicts have heavily impacted the operations of leading humanitarian and charity organisations. 'Increasing conflict around the world makes decisions even more complicated, because we have to focus and prioritise even harder," he said.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Garron Noone stuns fans as he announces ‘little goodbye' from social media
'I think I just need to get me head out of the game for a little while' The Irish TikTok star and musician Garron Noone has stunned fans by announcing a 'tiny little goodbye' from social media. The popular Mayo man who shares more than four million followers across TikTok and Instagram became emotional as he announced he was taking a step back. 'I'm gonna be saying a little goodbye to you today, just a tiny little goodbye, just maybe for a couple of months,' he said. 'I just need to take a small little social media break. I've been posting videos pretty much every day for the last two and a half years, and it's been my great f***ing pleasure to do so. Garron Noone News in 90 Seconds - June 19th Revealing the toll it has taken and the mental pressure that has accompanied his success, he reflected: 'I think I just need to get me head out of the game for a little while, and I'll come back nice and fresh with me lovely new ideas, and we'll have a great craic together.' He then became emotional as he expressed his gratitude to fans, telling them: 'I want to thank you from the absolute bottom of my soul for everything you've given me over the last few years. 'All of the opportunities, all of the people I've got to meet, everything good has come from you, and I really f***ing appreciate it, and you'll never understand how much I do. But thank you.' In a kind-hearted farewell gesture, Noone said he would make a charitable donation on behalf of his supporters. 'A lot of the money that I make from social media and stuff, I like to put it in a little pot and give it to charity, and I don't believe that money is coming from me, it's coming from you, the people that watch. 'So thank you so much for that. It's been able to help with animals and homelessness and all sorts of important things. 'And today I want to make a €10,000 donation on behalf of you good, delicious people to Doctors Without Borders. 'There's a lot going on in the world at the moment. I know you're hearing about that everywhere. You probably don't want to hear about it from me, but they do excellent humanitarian work, and I just think it's a great charity to give to. 'So thank you very much for that, and thank you so much for everything. Until I see you again, and if I don't see you again, it's been a pleasure having you. Maybe you won't catch me when I come back. 'It's been a pleasure having you. You are delicious. Stay delicious. And until next time, follow me, I'm delicious.' Noone previously opened about how he 'lost a lot of sponsors' and didn't leave his house for a week following a wave of reaction to a video he posted to social media in March. Noone deactivated his TikTok and Instagram accounts in the wake of backlash he faced to comments he made on immigration in a video shared following MMA fighter Conor McGregor's St Patrick's Day visit to the White House. In the initial video posted on Thursday, March 20, Noone said: 'There absolutely is an immigration issue in Ireland' and 'the systems we have in place are being taken advantage of'. When he returned to social media days later, he clarified that he is not anti-immigration nor is he aligned with McGregor. Speaking to The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk, Noone said he received 'hundreds of messages' quoting things he had never said and linking him with people he didn't want to be 'associated with'. 'I felt like I was going to walk outside and people were going to start shouting at me about me all these awful things people were saying I was going to be,' he said. 'So, I didn't leave the house for a week after that. I didn't sleep much while I was gone and look, I've learned from that. I know what might come if I say something in the future. That's life and I've accepted that as part of what I'm doing.' Noone said he didn't expect 'how much worse' the situation would become when he deactivated his TikTok and Instagram accounts, which each have more than two million followers. He said he 'lost a lot of sponsors' as a result of the controversy but 'things have returned to normal now' in his working life.
Days of Palestine
a day ago
- Health
- Days of Palestine
Your silence is not neutrality': MSF accuses European governments of enabling atrocities in Gaza
DaysofPal – Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) has issued a scathing condemnation of European governments over their role in the devastation unfolding in the Gaza Strip. In a dual communication, a formal press release and an open letter to European leaders, the medical humanitarian organization accuses the European Union and its member states of hypocrisy, moral failure, and direct complicity in Israel's war on Gaza. More than eight months into Israel's military campaign, MSF warns that Europe's continued support has deadly consequences for civilians and that the continent's moral standing is being eroded by its failure to uphold basic principles of international humanitarian law. 'You have watched Israel obliterate a health system you helped build,' the open letter states. 'You have witnessed your own citizens and staff being killed, detained, and tortured. You have seen hospitals bombed, ambulances destroyed, and entire families annihilated. And yet you continue to back this war politically, financially, and militarily.' A war waged with European support MSF emphasizes that more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health authorities, the majority of them women and children. The group describes a landscape of catastrophic destruction: hospitals systematically targeted, medical staff killed, patients operated on without anesthesia, and children undergoing amputations without painkillers. In its press release, MSF accuses Europe of trying to separate its humanitarian efforts from its political and military alliance with Israel, a contradiction MSF calls untenable. 'How can you send aid with one hand and supply the weapons that destroy it with the other?' the statement reads. 'How can you express concern for civilian lives while criminalizing and defunding the very organizations trying to save them?' MSF facilities attacked, staff killed and detained MSF directly accuses Israel of repeatedly targeting its facilities and medical teams. In recent months, MSF-supported hospitals have been shelled, convoys fired upon, and health workers detained. In at least one case, an MSF surgeon was arrested and reportedly subjected to abuse while in Israeli custody. Despite having shared the GPS coordinates of its premises with Israeli authorities, the group says its clinics and convoys have been bombed, patients and staff have been killed, and entire medical operations shut down due to the attacks. 'Health care in Gaza has been brought to its knees,' the group said. MSF's sharpest criticism is aimed at European governments' dual role as self-proclaimed defenders of human rights and as supporters of Israel's military campaign. The open letter and statement describe how EU states have continued to supply arms, intelligence, and diplomatic protection to Israel, even as the siege has caused famine, mass displacement, and the collapse of the health system. According to MSF, Europe has criminalized Palestinian solidarity and slashed funding to important humanitarian partners under the pretense of counterterrorism and neutrality. 'You cannot continue to support this war and claim to stand for humanitarianism, international law, and human rights,' the open letter reads. 'Your words of concern are meaningless when your actions enable the killing of civilians and the destruction of a health system.' A Call for Immediate Action MSF is urging European leaders to take concrete and immediate action to end their complicity in the ongoing atrocities in Gaza. This includes suspending all political and military support to Israel, demanding a permanent ceasefire, and ensuring the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the population under siege. The organization also calls on European governments to uphold international legal accountability by pursuing justice for attacks on civilians and aid workers, including those targeting MSF staff and facilities. 'Your silence is not neutrality,' the letter states bluntly. 'It is a green light for the continuation of mass atrocities.' MSF argues that European governments cannot maintain credibility as defenders of the rules-based international order while facilitating the destruction of Gaza and punishing those who speak out against it. 'You say you are committed to humanitarianism. But your inaction and your double standards are contributing to the erosion of that very system.' The letter ends on a sobering note, warning that the world is watching not just the destruction in Gaza but also Europe's complicity in it. The longer European governments remain passive or enabling, MSF says, the greater the cost, not just in Palestinian lives, but in the collapse of a global moral and legal framework. 'We ask you to act,' the letter concludes, 'not only because of what is happening in Gaza today, but because of what it means for all of us tomorrow.' Shortlink for this post:
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Health
- Al Jazeera
Why is Israel killing so many Palestinians seeking food in Gaza?
As Israel attacks Iran, its genocide in Gaza has shown no signs of easing. At least 70 Palestinians were killed in a single day this week at a food distribution site run by a controversial group in Khan Younis that is backed by Israel and the United States. All other aid channels are blocked – including medical supplies. So, what's the impact of this latest Israeli strategy? Presenter: Nick Clark Guests: Amjad Shawa – Director of the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network in Gaza Christopher Lockyear – Secretary-general at Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF) Mads Gilbert – Medical doctor with extensive experience in Gaza
