Tributes
MEMORIAL FOR
HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS
These are a collection of tributes to aid workers who have passed away, from colleagues, friends and family.
World Humanitarian Day: 19th August 2024
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
Group Tribute
Now, using data gathered by the Aid in Danger project, we pay tribute to all those killed since we met here last year. Martin Barber, a former UN Director who was present in 2003 in the Canal Hotel bombing, will begin ….
Martin Barber: In August last year SEVEN National aid workers were killed – in Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Sudan and Ukraine. One was the president of a local health NGO shot by gunmen at the office.
Dr Titilola Banjoko Chair IRC: In September a further ELEVEN aid workers were killed – TWO International workers in Ukraine, and NINE Nationals in Sudan, Myanmar and South Sudan. Three were ambulance drivers abducted and killed.
Wendy Fenton: In October last year FORTY NINE aid workers were killed of whom forty eight were Nationals and one was International – in Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They worked for NGOs, the Red Cross/Red Crescent, or the United Nations as teachers, truck drivers, a gynaecologist, an engineer, support workers, a doctor, a web developer, a nurse, a psychological counsellor, paramedics, patient caretakers, and ambulance drivers.
Jack Jones: In November TWENTY SEVEN National aid workers were killed – in Myanmar, Syria, South Sudan, Cameroon, Mali and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 50% worked on Health programmes. Two were killed in the shelling of a Refugee camp; four Doctors killed in an airstrike on an NGO hospital; Two were killed in an attack on a mother & child health clinic.
Shade Odupela – Action Aid: In December TWENTY more National aid workers were killed – in Somalia, South Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. One was a female Trustee of an international NGO; another was a female nurse in a Refugee camp shot by a sniper.
Cherian Mathews – Help Age: In January, in Ukraine, South Sudan, Syria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Yemen, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, a further TWENTY EIGHT National and TWO International aid workers were killed. An attack on a house, on a clinic, on a hospital, on a UN school, on an ambulance, on a refugee camp.
Richard Blewitt – BRCS: In February ELEVEN more National aid workers were killed – in Bangladesh, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, ten were National and one was an International volunteer. The female director of the local Red Cross youth department director was killed by gunfire on the Red Cross offices.
Nick Roseveare: THIRTY aid workers were killed In March – in Burundi, Congo, Syria, South Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, twenty eight were National and two were International. In two incidents sixteen members of civilian committees tasked with delivering humanitarian aid were killed.
Tufail Hussain - Islamic Relief: In April FIFTEEN aid workers were killed – in Iraq, Niger, Somalia, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Eight were National staff and seven were International staff. They died in a hijack, a landmine incident, a shooting, an IED explosion, an airstrike and repeated drone strikes.
Zainab Umar – ELRHA: In May TWENTY NINE aid workers were killed – in Lebanon, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Twenty seven were National staff and two were International staff. Most were Health workers killed in their homes, their ambulances, their clinics, their private cars, their hospitals – or whilst tending to the wounded in the open air.
Clare Elcombe-Weber – Humanists: According to the ‘Aid Workers Security Database’, TEN more National aid workers were killed in JUNE – in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Jason Pronyk - UN: Likewise, initial information tells us of the killing in JULY, last month, of a further TWENTY National aid workers in Myanmar, Mali, Sudan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Nick Roseveare: It is a terrible toll – an outrage. We honour them. We condemn unreservedly the continued targeting and killing of humanitarians.
World Humanitarian Day: 19th August 2024
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
Individual Tribute to Musa Adam Suliman and Ibrahim Suliman
Good afternoon,
I am here today to pay tribute to my respected colleagues Musa Adam Suliman and Ibrahim Suliman who were tragically killed during the ongoing conflict in Sudan whilst working for Relief International.
Originally from the Daru-salam locality of North Darfur, Musa had been an ambulance driver for Relief International for 14 years. He died on Monday 10th June, ten days after he was shot whilst driving to our health clinic in Zamzam camp, also in North Darfur. Musa was returning after taking a patient who was in labour to the maternity hospital in nearby El Fasher.
After 16 months of devastating conflict, the region’s hospitals have either been severely damaged or destroyed. At the time, the work of drivers like Musa was crucial because people needed transportation to help in their search for critical medical care.
For this same reason, Musa had to be moved several times in search of the care he required after being shot. Whilst staff did everything they could, the lack of intensive care and basic medical equipment including oxygen, made surviving a complicated injury impossible.
We send our deepest condolences to Musa’s family – to his loved ones and the 13 children he left behind. We know Musa was the pillar of his family, always taking the lead to ensure their well-being.
At work, Musa was dedicated, reliable and always ready to lend a hand. He informally took up the role of mechanic for the team and enjoyed advising colleagues on ambulance maintenance whenever there was a problem.
Reefa, an Admin Officer at the Relief International Al Malha Office in North Darfur shared tea and lunch with Musa in El Fasher many times. She told me that the last time she saw him, Musa was his usual talkative self. They spoke about vehicle maintenance, and as ever he was suggesting new ideas and techniques for improvements that could be made.
Musa was a revered colleague, committed to helping his community. In the end, he sacrificed his own life saving another.
14 months earlier, Ibrahim was killed on 15th April 2023, the day the war broke out in Sudan. Ibrahim was Senior Finance Officer for Relief International and joined the team in August 2019.
Ibrahim had returned home after work and was walking in his local area in El Fasher when he was shot. He was taken to hospital but tragically died from his injuries some hours later.
Ibrahim was a very hardworking, passionate and much-loved colleague who coordinated with departments across the country including Blue Nile, Al-Jazira and North Darfur. Ibrahim was committed to the humanitarian cause and had worked as a Finance Officer with both Save the Children and UNICEF before joining Relief International.
Ibrahim’s supervisor Muhammad Salih told me, “Ibrahim’s presence was a source of trust and reliability for our team”. Time may have passed but his loss is still being felt greatly by everyone who had the privilege to work with him.
Ibrahim was a family man with a wife and four children. We stand with his family and recognize the pain losing Ibrahim has caused in their lives.
In recent months, the situation in North Darfur and across Sudan has worsened even further, with heavy bombardments continuing and a famine being declared in Zamzam camp. We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and the rapid deployment of aid. Civilians, aid workers and health facilities should never be a target.
Today I honour Musa Adam Suliman and Ibrahim Suliman, and all humanitarians whose lives have been lost. They may no longer be with us, but their memory and the impact they had on so many people lives on.
Read by Relief International Regional Director Mark Atterton
World Humanitarian Day: 17th August 2023
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
This tribute to those killed in the last year is based on information compiled by the ‘Aid in Danger’ project
By the end of August last year a total of SIXTEEN aid workers had been killed – in Somalia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Fifteen were National and one was International. Two were water and sanitation project workers killed by the roadside in South Sudan.
In September a further TWENTY National aid workers were killed – in Ukraine, South Sudan, Congo, Ethiopia and Somalia. Fourteen were killed in a single firearms and arson attack on a bus in Somalia.
In October last year EIGHT more National aid workers were killed – in Syria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Bangladesh and Democratic Republic of Congo, the majority were health workers.
In November NINE National aid workers were killed – in Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Mozambique and Angola, one was a female health worker beaten to death in Borno State, Nigeria.
During December NINE more National aid workers were killed – in Somalia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Mali, Sudan, Ukraine and Democratic Republic of Congo, one was a humanitarian deminer killed in Angola, another was a female health worker killed in aerial bombing in Ukraine.
In January, in Sudan, Nigeria, South Sudan and Niger, another SEVEN National aid workers were killed. One was shot dead while working on PEACEBUILDING in Sudan.
In February THIRTEEN more aid workers were killed – in Ukraine, South Sudan, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan and Burkina Faso, twelve were National and one was an International health worker killed in aerial bombing in Ukraine.
SEVEN aid workers were killed In March – in South Sudan, Senegal and Ukraine, five were National and two were International health workers.
In April THIRTEEN aid workers were killed – in Somalia, Congo, Sudan Ethiopia, and South Sudan, eight were National staff and five were International staff. Eight were working in Sudan on Human Rights, Hunger and Health programmes.
In May a further SIXTEEN National aid workers were killed – in Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Somalia. One was beaten to death in Sudan.
According to the Aid Workers Security Database, EIGHT National aid workers were killed in June – in Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan and Congo.
From initial information, we know so far of the killing in July, last month, of FOUR aid workers in Syria, Yemen and Sudan. Three were National staff and one was an International staff member. The total for last month is expected to rise once all the information is gathered.
We honour the commitment and the sacrifice of all those killed since we last met at this Memorial – and we unreservedly condemn the continued killing of humanitarians.
Read by members of the Humanitarian community and by bereaved family members
World Humanitarian Day: 17th August 2023
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
Dear friends and colleagues,
Thank you for inviting me to speak at this moving and important event.
Sadly, being an aid and development worker, a humanitarian motivated to save lives, does not mean that your life is safe.
In fact, sadly, as an organisation who has worked in Syria since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, we know all too well – not only are the lives of our staff not safe – the opposite is true. Often their lives are in danger due to their work. Or, frankly, sometimes their lives are in danger because of their work.
With dozens of healthcare facilities, hundreds of hospitals and thousands of aid projects – Action For Humanity have supported so many lives. However, sadly throughout this time, many of our staff have been killed. Teachers working at our schools have been killed along with children, when the schools they were at have been hit by shelling. Staff getting to work have been killed on their commute, on one occasion with their entire family in the car with them when hit by an air strike. Sadly, the areas we work are essentially full of people helping other people in desperate need of safety. Yet, none of them are safe.
When the earthquake rocked northern Syria and southern Türkiye in February, like everyone in the region – many of us had our lives turned upside down and sadly, some lost their lives. One of our team who lost her life in the earthquake, Zehra, was a shining star who touched so many lives. She has left a void that can never be filled. Zehra was a brilliant leader. She tackled every task with a rare combination of grace and determination, and her ability to bring out the best in her team was truly inspiring. Zehra was kind, warm, had an infectious laugh which brightened even the darkest days.
Mohammed Sahin, another member of our team, was always positive. Everyone that knew him commented that he was easy going. But his drive was his passion for the work he did. Mohammed Sahin had an unwavering level of dedication and professionalism. Mohammed acted as a mentor, leader, role model and inspiration to so many colleagues, most of whom soon became his friend.
And Faten was a nurse working in one of our mobile clinics whose life was tragically taken. She lost her life under the rubble of her home with her three children. Faten was known for her respectfulness, kindness, and strong sense of teamwork among patients and colleagues. Faten had a beautiful family life filled with love and happiness and it was taken so cruelly from her.
Even our staff members who survived all had their lives touched in some way. Many were injured, many had family members and friends who were part of the casualties. I think the member of staff who best encapsulates our attitude to the death and destruction we have been exposed to is Yarub, our deputy country director. Yarub lost his brother-in-law and his 10-year-old niece, Massa, in the earthquake. So much loss, for someone who gives so much every day. We built a village of 750 homes for displaced Syrians in Northwest Syria and, in response to the tragedy, we named the village Massa, after Yarub’s niece. A life cut tragically short at 10 years, will be commemorated for generations and generations.
In our 12 year history, so many of our team have lost their lives, trying to save lives. We make so many sacrifices for this line of work. However, we have a calling that cannot be answered in any other line of work. A calling to make a sacrifice for those who have already lost everything. Sadly, some of our colleagues have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Wassim Khmaja, Deputy Chief Executive, Action for Humanity
World Humanitarian Day: 18th August 2022
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
A story of 11 heroes from Afghanistan who lived like heroes and died as heroes
Dear friends and colleagues,
I am here with you to celebrate the lives of 11 Afghan deminers who lived like heroes and died as heroes. I represent the HALO Trust, the largest humanitarian mine clearance charity worldwide with 34 years of history of work in Afghanistan.
Over one year ago on 8 June 2021 at around 10:00 pm, eleven members of HALO Afghanistan humanitarian deminers were brutally shot and killed in cool blood in their demining camp in Baghlan Province.
Over 15 other HALO deminers were seriously injured some of them with life-changing injuries. Around 123 men, from local communities in northern Afghanistan, were in the camp had finished their work on nearby minefields. Members of a terrorist group fought their way in. They were looking for members of an ethnic minority group in Afghanistan. When their colleagues refused to give them up, they opened fire indiscriminately.
My colleagues lived and died as heroes with honour. Behind each man who sacrificed his own life to save others, there are many untold and heroic stories to tell. I would like to read their names and invite you to pay respect to these fallen HALO staff:
Abdul Satar, Abdul Manan, Sher Mohammed, Sayed Ahmad, Noor Agha, Ghulam Mohammed, Mohammed Yousuf, Abdal Satar, Mohiburahman, Abdul Razeq, Rahmatullah..
Soon after the attackers retreated, HALO staff who survived the attack took control of the situation and carried 15 HALO injured staff in ambulances to the nearby hospitals in the middle of the night crossing two front lines.
The story of these 11 young Afghan men who lost their lives and 15 other young men who have been injured is one of the sad examples of hundreds of humanitarian aid workers who lose their lives every year in the line of performing their duties to save other lives and to assist the people in need. This tragic event is also a sad reminder that criminals and terrorists are attacking humanitarian workers because they are fearful of a developed and civilized society where the forces of evil will have no control over people’s lives and livelihoods. But we know, the light fades away darkness and they will never succeed.
I met most of the family members and the loved ones of the HALO martyred staff. I want to share with you the heartfelt story of Abdul Satar who is one of the martyrs. Soon after the gunmen entered the camp and indiscriminately opened fire, he resisted one of the gunmen and tried to stop him from killing his fellow deminers in their shared room. He was shot dead by the attacker. I know Abdul Satar personally, he joined HALO in May 2007 as a deminer, because he has been a hard-working and talented deminer, he was promoted to the team leader position. In addition, he was a driver of his team. An honest, family-loving deminer of Baghlan Province. He left five children behind, 3 lovely daughters and two young sons, his wife, three brothers, and his mother.
His youngest son was only one year old when he was martyred. His supervisor told me that Abdul Satar was very famous among his colleagues for keeping his vehicle always clean. He would have washed his vehicle every day after returning to the camp and would have recycled used tires to make flowerpots for use in demining camps for planting flowers. He was always helping other deminers to wear their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before the start of a demining day.
Recently we have celebrated the lives and achievements of these heroes in their hometown of Puli-Khumri Northeast Afghanistan. Although their families were extremely sad about the loss of the lives of their loved ones, most of them told me that they are happy that their sons, brothers, fathers, or husbands sacrificed their lives in the line of protection and saving the lives and livelihoods of thousands of their Afghan brothers and sisters over many years.
Dr Farid Ahmad Homayoun OBE, Afghanistan Country Director, HALO Trust
World Humanitarian Day: 18th August 2022
The following delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial Westminster Abbey
Kate Mitchell - a humanitarian worker - died November 2021.
Much against her wishes, we evacuated her from Ethiopia as the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Army advanced towards the capital. Characteristically, Kate wanted to go to Nairobi rather than home to the UK to be as close as possible to her Ethiopean colleagues, so she could get back to Addis Ababa as quickly as possible – and because she thought she might have useful conversations with donors while in Kenya!
And it was in Nairobi that Kate was murdered.
At BBC Media Action, we remember Kate as so REAL - exquisitely kind, competent, and humble. A wise, supportive, thoughtful colleague and one of the sharpest, funniest and well-liked people in the organisation. She got on with everyone and learnt from everywhere.
Kate joined Media Action as a team assistant in 2007 and worked in various roles before heading off to Zambia to help out while a colleague was on maternity leave. Though she worked as conscientiously as ever on her return to London, it was clear that her heart was in Africa and it wasn’t long before she was appointed to a job in South Sudan and then – a few years later – moved to a similar role in Ethiopia.
It’s not easy to move from Team Assistant to Senior Programme Manager and Kate richly deserved every promotion. She studied in the evenings securing an academic underpinning for what she did. She overcame her reticence to speak in meetings and we all benefited from the contributions she made. And she worked so hard – often way too hard - because she knew that what she did mattered and because she was utterly reliable, committed and passionate.
Kate was with BBC Media Action for a long time and a key member of a series of teams. But that doesn’t explain why everyone in the organisation is so devastated by her death. The grief is so deep because of what Kate brought to us as individuals as well as to her humanitarian work.
Colleagues speak of her talent to make people feel welcomed and her kindness to new starters. They remember her generosity too – always willing to answer a question, share her experience, or help out finishing something for a deadline. She saved the day on countless occasions.
Kate was totally sound and straightforward. She’d give her honest take on any issue and said what she thought in ways that we could hear.
Everyone remembers too what fun Kate was. Working late in the office – again – and starting dancing. Her love of travel and adventure; and of parties. Shared meals and glasses of wine. Her one liners and quick wit.
Kate loved working with colleagues in Zambia, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The Ethiopia team say it’s not same without Kate, but they are ‘determined to continue the work she was so passionate about.. to honour and remember her…. And make her happy and proud’. A few days after Kate died, we heard that the most recent funding bid that she led had been successful – part of her legacy in Ethiopia.
Over those first horrible days after Kate’s death, I often wondered what Kate would have done if it had been someone else who was killed. And I know exactly - because she was there in so many other crises. She never pushed herself forward, but she watched, saw what needed to be done and quietly did it. And then she would make sure that the others dealing with the crisis were OK. I’ve been grateful many times for her checking in on me. And other colleagues recall after a stressful day, her asking ‘wine?’ and leading the way to a nearby bar. But - as they also said – ‘it was never about the wine. It was about the opportunity to sit and talk for hours on end’.
The world is a better place for people like, Kate, people who get on with it, care deeply but never lose their humanity. I give thanks for Kate’s committed, full, and much too short life.
Caroline Nursey OBE, BBC Media Action
Former colleague of Kate Mitchell
World Humanitarian Day: 18th August 2015
Delivered at the laying of the wreath at the Innocent Victims’ Memorial
Westminster Abbey
Good evening.
As I prepared for this day, I thought back to the cold January morning three years ago when I listened with horror as I received news that my friend Khalil (Ken as I called him) whilst working for the ICRC in Pakistan has been abducted by miscreants unknown; I thought back to that dreadful Sunday four months later when I received news that his body has been found and I remember breaking down; and I thought of the day when he was brought back to the UK in a plain unmarked coffin. This is how Ken would have wanted it as he was embarrassed by any fuss made over him, but to his family and friends this was wanting, as to us he was returning a hero having made the ultimate sacrifice for his beliefs. But Ken is not alone in his sacrifice.
So if not honour and accolades, then what motivated Ken to work in Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan helping people in desperate need? Why did he do what he did? For that matter why does anyone do this work? I asked him this once when I lived with him at his home in Dumfries, Scotland helping him look after his 93 year old ailing mother. The answer was simple: it was a love for caring and serving, a unwavering belief in a just and fairer world and in the humanitarian cause. There was a purity of noble intention which drove Ken and he had inner steel and an indomitable spirit. He put all this on hold when he returned home in 1998 to care for his mother. I was deeply touched by the love, care and tenderness he showed his mother and remember the innumerable cups of tea he made for her every day, which often used to lie cold and untouched. This act of making tea, however simple in itself, encapsulated the immense well of Ken’s love. He also showed me this same love and care during a very distressing period in my life.
Without question, Ken was amongst the most gentle, kind, compassionate, tolerant and loving person I have ever known. His loss has been devastating; the world lost a dedicated humanitarian and trusted colleague, a beloved brother, a loving partner, and a loyal friend to many. Three years later we are still grappling with grief and trying to come to terms with the injustice of a very dear life cruelly cut short with egregious disregard for the sanctity of life. A life that had so much to give. We relive each moment, real and imagined, of the ordeal that Ken must have gone through and the torment he must have faced, and his last moments. We continue to seek for answers and look for closure so that we may move forward and remember Ken’s life and not just the end; so that we may celebrate my dear friend Ken and not have the spectre of his death foreshadow his life.
Until that closure, this Memorial gives meaning to the loss of a loved one and reinforces the belief that this loss has not been in vain and that Ken and others like him are more than mere statistics. On this Memorial is pinned our love, gratitude and our memories, lest we forget.
For all the things I can remember, for all the things I have forgotten, for all the things I never got a chance to say, and for all the things I'll say when I see you again. These words are for you - Rest In Peace Ken; you were an inspiration and live on in our hearts and memories.
Mousumi Saikia
Friend of Khalil (Kenneth) Dale
World Humanitarian Day - 18 August 2015
Delivered at the laying of the wreath and roses at the memorial to the Innocent Victims, Westminster Abbey
Here today, at this memorial to the innocent victims, I want to tell you about Christopher Howes who was needlessly murdered at the age of 36 in Cambodia, almost 20 years ago, whilst carrying out humanitarian work.
Christopher was a member of the Mines Advisory Group MAG, working in Cambodia to clear mines and unexploded ordnance, managing a de-mining team of more than 20 local staff. On the morning of 26 March 1996, as his team was preparing to start clearance work in a village in the province of Siem Reap, a group of 30 armed Khmer Rouge guerrillas emerged from the nearby forest.
The team was surrounded, and under threat of armed force, ordered to their vehicles, which were then stripped of equipment. Christopher was told by the Khmer Rouge leader to return to MAG for ransom money.
Talking through his interpreter Houen Hourth, he refused, selflessly pledging to remain with his team and urging their release. The situation was already dangerous and difficult, and tensions increased when a number of de-miners managed to escape. Christopher continued his efforts to urge the guerrillas to release the other team members and eventually they agreed.
However, the guerrillas kept Christopher and Houen, and two days later Houen was killed. Christopher was taken to the Khmer Rouge headquarters where he was held for several days before being shot dead on the orders of the Khmer Rouge General.
The tragedy of Christopher and Houen’s deaths was made so much worse for their family, friends and colleagues, as their fate remained a mystery for almost two years – a cruel time filled with many false rumours, throughout which it was desperately hoped that he and Houen, by some miracle, might still be alive. Sadly this was not the case.
Christopher was no superman or picture book saint, but this loyal, brave and exceptional man was my little brother Chris. Handsome with his blonde curly hair, an accomplished horseman, holder of a pilots’ licence, crack shot, and much, much more.
He had served with the Royal Engineers for 7 years and worked for MAG for three, in Kurdistan before Cambodia, putting into practice his engineering skills to make this world a better place. He was passionate about the land mine cause and always assured us he was good and very careful at his job and would not be hurt … murder was another thing … Houen, Chris’s interpreter, his young widow and two small sons were definitely most innocent victims.
The void and sadness left in our lives by my brother’s needless murder remains undiminished. He had so much more to give.
For his selfless bravery Christopher was posthumously awarded the Queen’s Gallantry medal in 2001. At the cost of his life, he showed his love and loyalty for his fellow men.
To quote from the gospel of St John, Chapter 15, Verse 13 -
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”.
Robert White, written by Meredoc McMinn and Chris Johnson
Robert White was originally from Australia and, although he was only in his late 30s when he died in the field from serious malaria, he had had an interesting life.
He was a UN 'engineer' but by that I mean someone who could fix almost anything, with almost no tools, no materials and in next to no time. 'Whitey', as he was known, could swear like a sailor, yelled at most people he worked with and liked to have a drink late into the evening. Though he was not a great talker he always made sure everyone was included, and he was loved by almost everyone who knew him.
His national staff would follow him on any job. After one national staff member went through personal tragedy – the loss of his child to preventable illness – and then the impending end of his UN contract, Whitey made some arrangements to keep him in work. When the mission in one of the most volatile places in Sudan was in jeopardy because of a lack of accommodation for staff, Whitey worked beyond expectations to make sure there was a camp ready to house people so they could conduct peace-keeping in the area.
During the clashes in Abyei in 2008 he worked all day long helping to coordinate the evacuation of colleagues – he saw what needed to be done and got on with it without ever having to be asked. After the some 100 aid workers had been evacuated, Whitey was one of only three remaining along with the UN military, and he stayed on to keep everything on the UN compound running. He need not have done it, he could have said it was the job of the guys in uniform, but of course that wasn't him.
One night the last three remaining aid workers took shelter outside in the rain as they could not stay inside the metal containers that were the offices and accommodation units, because of concerns that if hit by bombs they would shred into shrapnel. Whitey noticed one of the other three was without her helmet and offered his – this was the sort of completely spontaneous, generous gestures that he would make.
It was his commitment that somehow contributed to his dying in the field in his late 30s. He was working on another urgent project when he got sick. But being Whitey he thought he would work through it. After a couple of days, when he could not work anymore, he stopped at the camp clinic and was admitted. He had severe malaria and his condition deteriorated quickly. He was not evacuated in time and died in the field clinic.
He had a beautiful wife and young son in Ethiopia, and a former wife and two sons in Australia, all of whom he would talk about with love and happiness. In a rare moment of candour, Whitey told me that he was trying to ‘achieve’ because that is what his father said is what someone should strive to do. That is what Whitey did, and I am sure his father would have been proud. As a colleague of ours said, 'he was one of the good people'.
This is the loss of another aid worker, in another mission, who left many friends and a beautiful family, Though his commitment was great, and his loss impacted on many of us, the work his did to bring about peace is maybe not fully understood or appreciated by the wider world.
Yuhana Deng, written by Meredoc McMinn
Yuhana was over 2 meters tall, thin like a lamppost, and a loving father of 3. He was a South Sudanese national staff, a Dinka, and worked as a driver for the UN mission. There are no proper roads maps in South Sudan, no paved roads outside the capital and travelling from community to community can often require traversing hundreds of kilometres in the bush simply using local knowledge and an understanding of the geography.
What made Yuhana exceptional were his competency, commitment and kindness. He understood that it was difficult for some of the international aid workers, especially those who were younger and had less experience in the field, or of Africa, or of post-conflict zones. He went out of his way to make them feel welcome and as assured as they could be. He would drive field officers to different parts of the regional capital which, like the bush surrounding it, had no road maps, until staff had an understanding of where they were going.
When his UN contract was in abeyance for a period due to administration difficulties, instead of staying home until he was sure he would be paid, he continued to go to work, to drive and do his job of guiding his colleagues through communities and the bush, so that the mission could do its work to keep the peace and develop South Sudan. Though not such a talkative man, now and then he would tell us a story about a community or family that enabled us to understand the people we were there to help and support.
One day there was a field mission and Yahuna was driving the lead vehicle. It was ambushed by bandits and he was shot and killed. Although international staff are regularly under threat, unfortunately often people overlook the bravery and contribution of national staff.
National colleagues have usually gone through great personal tragedy and trauma in the conflicts the UN missions seek to end. They have also usually not had the same education opportunities. And yet they often show extreme grace, courage, commitment and professionalism. In many cases they put aside possible personal biases as a result of what they or their family suffered in the conflict, in order to implement the mission mandate, and help their country and all of its people.
Yuhana was an example of this humanity.
World Humanitarian Day - 19 August 2014
Delivered at the laying of the wreath and roses at the memorial to the Innocent Victims, Westminster Abbey
Stephen 'Darby' Allan, speech delivered by his daughter Sarah Taylor at the 2014 Memorial event
Good evening.
In preparation for this I did some reading about the day and in doing so I came across some of Gil Loescher’s recent interviews. One comment in particular really resonated with me, which I will share today, because for anyone here who has lost a loved one to humanitarian work I think you would understand, which is that when you see headlines about explosions or attacks, it will often be about the about the number of people who died.
So here is ours. ‘Stephen Allan, British national killed in landmine explosion in south Sudan 15th October 2010’. There’s usually a couple of quotes, a picture and then somewhere a single sentence: ‘He is survived by his wife and two children.’
One of the many valid points which Gil made was that it will not touch upon or describe the effect of that loss on the victims’ families and loved ones.
There will be no mention of the rest of the family or their friends. He wasn’t just a husband and a father; he was a brother, a son, an uncle and a granddad. To be frank he was a legend to all who knew him. He commanded respect, loyalty and friendship from all who met him.
So it begs the question: Why? Why did he do the job he did? Why does anyone do that type of job?
It’s actually the simplest question to answer. He loved his job; he did it because he was good at it. I would even go so far as saying he was one of the best, which is why it was such a horrific shock when he was killed. We honestly believed that he was invincible.
So finally why MAG? Why do any of our loved ones go to Sudan, Lebanon the Congo or anywhere there is risk?
Instead of answering this I will leave you with a question …
At what point in this age of knowledge and technology, is it ok to have children playing football with hand grenades?
When has it ever been ok for families to be unable to access water or food safely because their village has been surrounded by a barrier of landmines for a conflict they are not involved in?
For my father and anyone else who is part of humanitarian aid, it was because they had the skills and tenacity to do it.
He was a great believer that you cannot complain about something if you are not prepared to do anything about it. By working with MAG he achieved that and consequently saved hundreds of lives.
Tribute to Dr Veronika Rackova by Aidan Goldsmith (2016)
Dr Veronika Rackova was one of the nicest people I had met in South Sudan. As a medical doctor and a nun, Veronika was extremely passionate about helping the most vulnerable. In Yei, South Sudan, she ran the St Bakhita’s hospital where she cared for all types of medical emergencies including child birth. While not a trained psychiatrist, Veronika also responded to the great need of vulnerable people suffering from mental health illnesses. At her hospital Veronika ran one of the only two in-patient care facilities in the whole country that treats people suffering from mental health emergencies.
Veronika tirelessly responded to those effected by the humanitarian crisis and cared for refugees and displaced people that often filled her clinic. While Veronika oversaw the treatment of the patients, the day to day running of the clinic was always on her mind. She regularly travelled to Slovakia to raise money and would rely on donations from friends, churches and other groups to support her mission. Veronika would regularly miss meetings because she wanted to save petrol for the ambulance rather than come to the capital, Juba. She was constantly mindful of her limited resources and kept her patients in the front of her mind.
Veronika’s mission in South Sudan came to an end this year when she was killed by government troops while driving her ambulance after transporting a patient to another hospital. Veronika’s death leaves a real gap for those that seek medical care in Yei, in a country with very few doctors providing low cost medical care.
Copyright © Memorial for Humanitarian Aid Workers. All rights reserved.