The birth of Médecins Sans Frontières

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Sep 23, 2025

Dr. Xavier Emmanuelli, one of the 13 founders of Médecins Sans Frontières, shares his inspiring journey in founding the organization. He recounts how the devastating 1970 cyclone in East Pakistan mobilized medical volunteers in France. The importance of the MSF charter, advocating medical care regardless of race or politics, is discussed. Emmanuelli reflects on their initial missions, including his first experience in Bangladesh, and the subsequent expansion of MSF's humanitarian efforts that ultimately earned them the Nobel Peace Prize.

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ANECDOTE

Cyclone That Sparked Mobilisation

Xavier answered an appeal after a devastating 1970 cyclone in East Pakistan and joined hundreds of volunteers mobilised from France.
He describes the scale: 500,000 dead or disappeared and millions left homeless, which propelled doctors into action.

ANECDOTE

Tonus Appeal Overwhelms Volunteers

The French medical journal Tonus issued an open call and about 400 people registered to help, overwhelming organisers.
Volunteers were grouped to plan missions ranging from wars to refugee camps, sparking the organisational idea.

ANECDOTE

Biafra Veterans Form The Core

A subset of volunteers were veterans from the Biafra conflict and brought hard-won experience back to France.
Eleven doctors and two journalists emerged as the active core who would form the new organisation.

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In 1971, 13 men sat down in a Paris office to launch what would become one of the world’s best known humanitarian organisations: Médecins Sans Frontières, or Doctors without Borders.

The men were among hundreds of volunteers responding to an appeal by the French medical journal, Tonus, after a major cyclone devastated East Pakistan.

The campaign sparked the idea for the charity. The 13 founders – two journalists and 11 doctors – drew up a charter aiming to provide medical care regardless of race, religion or politics.

MSF’s first missions included helping victims of a Nicaraguan earthquake and a hurricane in Honduras. And in 1999, the charity won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of their work.

Dr Xavier Emmanuelli, one of the founders, talks to Jane Wilkinson about setting up MSF, and his early humanitarian work.

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(Photo: Doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières in Chad, 1981. Credit: Dominique Faget/AFP via Getty Images)