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'I still struggle to sleep': Humanitarian aid workers in UAE share stories about pushing on amid tragedies
Aid workers have learnt new languages and resigned from their jobs to pursue humanitarian work
Photo: Supplied
Over his 40-year career as a humanitarian worker, CEO of Dubai Humanitarian Giuseppe Saba has moved from one emergency zone to another. However, he admits that there is one particular mission that still haunts him.
“I arrived in Rwanda while the genocide was going on,” he said, speaking to Khaleej Times. “I have seen earthquakes, floods, tsunami and so on but Rwanda is one of the hardest missions I have done in my life. I struggle to sleep some days thinking about it. I am still reluctant to talk about that mission.”
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Saba was speaking on the sidelines of an event held to mark World Humanitarian Day on Monday, August 19 at Dubai Humanitarian, the largest humanitarian hub in the world. According to the United Nations, 2023 was the deadliest year on record for humanitarians with 280 aid workers killed by violence.
Giuseppe Saba. Photo: Supplied
Unfortunately, 2024 has shown no signs of improvement and may even surpass last year's grim statistics with 176 aid workers already killed, according to the provisional count from the Aid Worker Security Database.
During the event, several aid workers discussed their experiences and challenges as part of a panel discussion.
Photo: Supplied
Ahmed AlZahid from the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) shared details about one of his missions abroad. “Two days before I reached my destination, there was a terrorist attack that killed 60 people,” he said. “When we reached the area for charitable programs, we had armed guards with us.”
For Grace Calites, a supply chain associate at World Food Program (WFP), every assignment brings with it several challenges. “My most recent mission to Moldova was one of the most challenging ones,” she said. “I was trained as a customer service coordinator but at Moldova, I had to be a warehouse manager. I had to learn what a manager does.”
She also faced challenges with the local language. “Everything was written in Romanian language and I had to translate everything to English so I could arrange the warehouse accordingly,” she said. “I learnt a new language and started working closely with the locals to make sure I could help them. My experience of dealing with people from different cultures in Dubai helped me in this mission.”
It was in 2003 on August 19 that a bomb attack on the Canal Hotel in Baghdad killed 22 humanitarian aid workers, including the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe the day as World Humanitarian Day (WHD).
Growing up in Ras Al Khaimah, Abdulla Al Shehhi, the CEO of Dubai Cares, always knew the value of aid work. “I was working as an electrical engineer when Dubai Cares was set up,” he said. “It was the most successful fundraising activity. Two years later when an opening came up, I jumped at the opportunity because I had the passion for humanitarian work.”
For a year, he worked diligently at designing campaigns to raise money. However, it was his first field visit that changed his life forever. “I went to Djibouti where I saw people whose lives were impacted because of the work we do,” he said. “It was a mixed feeling. That feeling is what has carried me through 15 years of my work at Dubai Cares.”
Columbian Mauricio Gomez was trained as an engineer and was working when an earthquake hit his hometown in 1999. Taking time off, he rushed home to assist with rescue operations. “While assisting with the work, I decided that I wanted to be a humanitarian,” he said. “I immediately resigned from my job and joined the Red Cross.”
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