Readers donate £20,000 to Iraq

Readers of The Independent on Sunday have raised more than £20,000 in less than a month for our Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) appeal. We have campaigned to raise money for the charity and its medical work in Iraq since the fall of Baghdad about three weeks ago. MSF staff – mostly medically trained volunteers from Europe – have worked in Baghdad's hospitals, shipped much-needed supplies into the Iraqi capital, and cared for those in refugee camps. Two volunteers, Ibrahim Younis, 31, from Sudan and Frenchman François Calas, 44, were captured near the start of the war and held by Iraqi authorities for nine days. After their release, two days after American troops entered Baghdad, they resumed work almost immediately.

Our appeal ends this week, as MSF prepares to withdraw its staff from Baghdad – but the charity's work continues across the globe.

A voluntary, non-governmental organisation with 2,500 doctors and nurses, MSF depends entirely on donations. Founded in Paris in 1971, MSF now has offices in 20 countries. The charity provides medical relief to the victims of war, disasters and epidemics in more than 80 countries, treating the sick and suffering, regardless of their ethnic origin, religion or political affiliation. For more information visit www.msf.org.