Early last November, anaesthetist Eric Vreede left London to work with MSF in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. His letters describe the human cost of a particularly savage conflict and MSFs'efforts to provide relief. I am now settled here, and I like the place. There is fighting up country, but we don't notice it much in Freetown. Nevertheless, we are aware that not that far from here people are killing and mutilating each other in the most horrible ways.
Nobody is spared.
You see people who have had both arms amputated. They are completely helpless and depend on others even to eat. I am the only anaesthetist here and have been asked to teach at the university. At the moment I spend most of my time preparing lectures and teaching medical students. 20 December All over the country there has been a lot of fighting.