in 1972 , doctors without borders conducted its first major relief effort, helping victims of an earthquake in nicaragua. other significant missions were undertaken to care for victims of fighting in lebanon(1976),afghanistan(1979),and the russian republic of chechnya (1995).sine the 1980s, doctors without borders has worked to relieve famine, offered medical care to casualties of war,and dealt with the problem of refugees in such african countries as somalia, ethiopia, the sudan, sierra leone, and rwanda.