HUMANITARIAN DOCTOR AND A CIVIL DIPLOMAT IN AFRICA

Being a Humanitarian Doctor and a Civil Diplomat in Africa involves several challenges for medical professionals in humanitarian aid operations.

The Humanitarian Doctor work involves underlying risks, for example, the challenge of building resilience in vulnerable communities.

As a matter of fact, today global challenges are increasing, and the humanitarian need continues to grow.

However, humanitarian aid is generally provided by non-governmental and independent aid organizations. They come into play when a country’s government is unable to prove itself to the waiting crowd.

What does it mean to be a Humanitarian Doctor?

We might think that, by its very nature, the doctor’s job is to carry out a humanitarian activity. But not quite.

Different from traditional doctors, the humanitarian doctor works directly in aid and humanitarian operations for a few weeks or months.

The aim is to improve people’s living conditions in acute emergencies quickly and in the long term.

Together with the population, they promote self-help and resilience in crises and disasters.

Médicos Sem Fronteiras – MSF is a humanitarian organization that brings healthcare to people affected by serious humanitarian crises. We can observe the testimony of several humanitarian doctors telling their experiences in Africa through their logbooks.

The Importance of Civil Diplomacy for the Humanitarian Doctor

Quick and efficient help is essential for survival in emergency situations.

In conflict areas, Civilian Diplomacy helps to ensure humanitarian principles and, most of all, the badges and identifications of Jethro Civil Diplomat are of particular importance in ensuring access to affected population groups.

Above all, having an ID Jethro Civil Diplomat can facilitate the distribution of emergency goods, such as food, medicines, building materials, or hygiene items in situations where cash does not help because markets no longer exist or are inaccessible.

10 Humanitarian Crises in Africa that Didn’t Make Headlines

• Angola – 3.8 million people do not have enough to eat
• Malawi – 37 percent of children are malnourished
• Central African Republic – 3.1 million people in need of humanitarian aid
• Zambia – 50 percent of people live on 1.90 dollars a day
• Chad – Second highest maternal mortality rate in the world
• Burundi – 50 percent of children under five are malnourished
• Zimbabwe – 7 million people need humanitarian aid
• Mali – Eighth-highest child mortality rate in the world
• Cameroon – 3.9 million people in need
• Niger – 4.4 million people are acutely food insecure

Humanitarian Doctor and The Importance of Safe

People want to be safe: and free from violence, oppression, persecution, and fear.

Without physical security, our needs, rights, and aspirations cannot be met.

People want to be treated with dignity and to know that their lives matter, regardless of gender, race, national or social origin, religious belief, political affiliation, property, birth, or any other status.

People want to be recognized and empowered as central agents of their lives and futures. These needs wants, and aspirations don’t stop at a crisis.

What is Humanitarian Aid?

Humanitarian crises are triggered by natural disasters and violent conflicts, such as wars or uprisings, as well as pandemics and epidemics.

In these situations, humanitarian aid means supporting people in life-threatening emergencies and ensuring their survival.

When those affected cannot help themselves and are left with nothing as a result of a disaster, then humanitarian aid is essential for survival.

Humanitarian aid focuses on the following areas:

• Safe food
• Water and sanitation
• Shelters and settlements
• Access to health care and safety
• Emergency aid focused on long-term development

Principles of Humanitarian Aid

• Humanity: The purpose of humanitarian aid is to save lives and alleviate suffering wherever possible.
• Impartiality: help and support is based solely on need and must not, for example, discriminate between population groups or according to religious affiliation.
• Neutrality: In conflict situations, neither side is taken or certain sides are given preferential treatment. The perception of aid organizations as neutral protects those providing aid.
• Independence: The humanitarian goals of an aid organization are independent of political, military, medical, or other goals.

The humanitarian doctor’s job is to save lives and alleviate the suffering of people in need due to crises, natural disasters, or conflicts. This includes, for example, caring for earthquake victims or refugees.

Want to see more challenges faced by humanitarian doctors? Please contact Jethro Civil Diplomat Africa.