The Research Unit of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Switzerland was created in 2006 and aims to improve the way MSF projects are implemented in the field and to participate in critical thinking on humanitarian and medical action, notably by producing publications and organizing conferences and debates.
News
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War wounds caused by explosive weapons in Gaza: data from a 2024 study by MSF
12.09.2025In a report published in December 2024 MSF describes how the violence unleashed by the Israeli forces has caused physical and mental damage on a scale that would overwhelm even the best functioning…
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Humanitarian Myths and Hubris
05.09.2025Coming in January 2026: Humanitarian Myths and Hubris: A Critical Self-Portrait from Médecins Sans Frontières offers a candid and introspective examination of MSF, questioning its assumptions and…
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A to Z of notions and expressions commonly used in the aid sector
05.09.2025This new project by MSF CRASH will comprise several entries unpacked by a range of contributors offering critical takes on their origins, uses, and the assumptions they carry. Maelle L'Homme,…
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New article: Les coûts humains et moraux de la migration
12.08.2025Migration can affect people’s health and presents ethical dilemmas for healthcare professionals. The imperative to provide optimal patient care sometimes conflicts with the constraints of local…
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Journal of Humanitarian Affairs Vol. 6 Issue 1
17.03.2025In this new issue, contributors focus on ‘Southern responses’ to ‘humanitarian crises’ and crises of protection and explain how a plurality of ‘international communities of response’…
Latest publications
Article
What “solidarity” means for MSF: the uses and applications of a notion
Maelle L’Homme
03.09.2025A central concept in humanitarian discourse, international solidarity has established itself as a hallmark of emergency and development interventions. But what does this widely used term truly…
Article
Les coûts humains et moraux de la migration
Melissa McRae
12.08.2025Migration can affect people’s health and presents ethical dilemmas for healthcare professionals. The imperative to provide optimal patient care sometimes conflicts with the constraints of local…
Book
Historical Antecedents to Understanding Contemporary Attacks on Healthcare
Duncan McLean
21.10.2024The protection of medical services in armed conflict is generally framed under the principle of medical neutrality. That respect for this principle has had a chequered past would be an…
Ongoing projects
JOURNAL OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
Duncan McLean is an editor at the JHA, an open access journal contributing to current thinking around humanitarian governance, policy and practice, and challenging contributors and readers to think critically about humanitarian issues.
Latest issueMORAL EXPERIENCES
This ongoing project acknowledges the importance of moral questions in the conduct of humanitarian action and provides staff with a space to share stories and strategies to prevent or alleviate moral distress.
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