About
Doctors Without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) offers medical humanitarian assistance to people based solely on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. Every day, MSF teams deliver emergency medical aid to people in crisis, with humanitarian projects in more than 70 countries. MSF USA (Medecins Sans Frontieres USA, Inc.), based in New York, is one of 24 MSF sections worldwide and supports the movement through staff recruitment, fundraising, communications and awareness-raising, and advocacy.
Mission
MSF was established on the belief that all people should have access to high-quality health care, regardless of gender, race, religion, creed, or political affiliation. Its teams of doctors, nurses, logisticians, and other frontline workers are often among the first on the scene when people's lives are upended by conflict, disease outbreaks, or natural or human-made disasters, and the decision to respond is based solely on MSF's independent assessment of medical needs.
What they do
- Emergency medical care in crises: responding to conflict, epidemics, and natural or human-made disasters worldwide.
- Bearing witness: speaking out on behalf of patients when the world turns its back on crises.
- Guided by medical ethics: committed to providing the highest quality care possible and acting in patients' best interests, respecting dignity, confidentiality, and informed consent.
- MSF USA specifically recruits staff, raises funds, communicates, and advocates; MSF does not currently run medical programs in the US.
History
MSF was founded in 1971 in France by a group of doctors and journalists in the wake of war and famine in Biafra, Nigeria, aiming to establish an independent organization delivering emergency medical humanitarian aid quickly, effectively, and impartially. Three hundred volunteers, including 13 founding members, made up the organization at its founding. In October 1999, MSF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its pioneering humanitarian work on several continents.
Scale and impact
Over the past five decades MSF has grown into an international movement of 67,000 staff providing over 16 million medical consultations in more than 75 countries every year. The US office comprises 258 people. MSF states that 98 percent of the money it raised globally in 2025 came from individual donors and private institutions, and MSF USA does not accept any funding from the US government — financial independence that ensures its aid is not used to further any government's political or military goals.
Financials
Per its IRS Form 990 for the fiscal year ending December 2024 (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer), MSF USA reported total revenue of $776,922,926 — 96.8% from contributions — total expenses of $774,314,841, and net assets of $263,689,960. MSF USA is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 13-3433452). The organization reports that funds are used 84% for programs, 15% for fundraising, and 1% for management and general administration.
Governance
MSF USA is governed by an association of current and former MSF staff members who elect a board of directors, define strategic direction, and hold the section accountable. Its US leadership team is headed by Chief Executive Officer Tirana Hassan, and the US Board of Directors is led by President Dr. Aqsa Durrani.