It is with great sadness that MSF confirms that two of its staff members were killed Thursday morning as a result of a shooting at an MSF compound in Mogadishu, Somalia.
MSF Emergency Coordinator Philippe Havet
MSF Doctor Andrias "Kace" Karel Keiluhu
MOGADISHU/NAIROBI/BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 29, 2011 - It is with great sadness that the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirms that two of its staff members were killed this morning as a result of a shooting at the MSF compound in Mogadishu, Somalia.
While one of the aid workers died during the shooting, the other was transferred to a hospital and died following surgery this evening. The victims are Belgian and Indonesian nationals.
Philippe Havet, a 53-year-old from Belgium, was an experienced emergency coordinator who had been working with MSF since 2000 in many countries, including Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Somalia.
Andrias Karel Keiluhu, better known as "Kace," was a 44-year-old medical doctor who had worked with MSF since 1998 in his native Indonesia, as well as in Ethiopia, Thailand, and Somalia.
The exact circumstances of the shooting are not yet clear. MSF’s immediate priority is to take care of those most affected by this tragedy, in particular the families and colleagues of the victims.
MSF will be relocating some staff from Somalia for security reasons but remains committed to continuing its humanitarian work in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia.
Philippe and Kace were in Mogadishu working with the MSF teams to provide emergency medical assistance to displaced persons and residents of the city.
We are deeply shocked by this tragic event and we will greatly miss Philippe and Kace. We extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to their families and friends.
MSF has been working in Somalia continuously since 1991 and currently operates 13 projects in the country, including medical activities related to the ongoing emergency, vaccination campaigns, and nutrition interventions. MSF also assists Somali refugees in camps in Dadaab, Kenya, and Dolo Ado, Ethiopia.
