Thieves Target Humanitarian Aid: Medical Equipment for Africa and Cambodia Stolen in France

Four 70 kg tents, donated by civil security; "easily resalable" small medical equipment, such as electric scalpels or small operating room equipment; 17 "all in one" computers, "highly sought after in Africa"; consumables for radiology printers, which are very expensive; and about sixty crates of food from the neighboring association were stolen from the former helicopter hangar that serves as storage space and offices for the Lorraine International Development Association (Adip). The amount of damage is estimated at 50,000 euros.

Claude Hentzien, president of this association specialized in sending medical equipment to Africa and Asia, discovered the theft on Saturday, April 5, 2025, early in the morning, reports Le Républicain Lorrain.

"These thefts put lives at risk," he warns. What saddens him the most is the theft of heavy medical equipment parts, specifically the ventilators. These machines are "serviced, in perfect condition," but are about fifteen years old, Hentzien specifies, emphasizing that their age means their parts "are becoming rare" and difficult to access.

After this theft, the president of Adip can count on the support of Moselle residents and a Belgian company. The latter is offering to repair the electrical network - sabotaged during the break-in.