Iraq: MSF responds to “chaotic scene” after tragic fire in Ninawa

MSF teams have arrived at several health facilities to help hospitals respond to mass casualties.

White flag with red logo of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) against sunny blue sky

© Valérie Batselaere/MSF

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams are responding after a tragic fire last night in a wedding hall in the Al-Hamdaniyah district of Ninawa governorate, Iraq.

"The scene was chaotic, [with] an enormous influx of people arriving at the hospital,” said Elise Moulin, MSF project coordinator in Mosul. “There were many casualties and a rush of people trying to help.”

Equipped with emergency supplies, our teams have arrived at Al-Salam Hospital, Al-Jumhuri Hospital, and the general hospital in Al-Hamdaniyah. We have donated batches of mass casualty response supplies.

"We express our deepest condolences to the families of victims and wish a quick recovery for those wounded,” said Baroj Hussein, MSF’s head of mission in Iraq. “Our teams are fully mobilized and committed to continuing our emergency support."

About MSF’s work in Iraq

After years of conflict and instability, Iraq has started to see some signs of recovery, but its health care system is still far from being able to fulfill all the medical needs of people living there. In 2022, MSF worked in 10 projects across Baghdad, Ninewa, Kirkuk, Erbil, and Dhi Qar, offering a wide range of general and specialty medical services and support to people living in areas affected by the war, returnees from long periods of displacement in camps or other regions of the country, and communities with poor access to health care. We also provided medical supplies, technical training, and support for emergency preparedness and response in several health facilities across the country. Read more about MSF’s work in Iraq >