‘Humanitarian work, a moral obligation’: Retired doctor returns to face the ‘silent threat’ in Gaza

After a successful career that lasted 43 years, during which he worked in Saudi Arabia, for the Palestinian Ministry of Health and then the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Dr. Awadallah decided to retire at the end of 2021.

But, that was short-lived. As the crisis in Gaza escalated and polio reappeared, he decided to return to the field. Doing so was not just a job assignment. As he describes it, it’s a “message of loyalty” to his profession, to the children of Gaza and to the institution that gave him so much.

Dr. Awadallah’s return was driven by a “deep inner sense of responsibility and belonging”.

“I felt that my long experience and field knowledge could make a difference in these critical times,” he told UN News.

‘The Silent Threat to Gaza’

Dr. Awadallah’s story was the focus of the film The Silent Threat to Gaza, produced by UNICEF in conjunction with World Humanitarian Day, observed annually on 19 August. The organization emphasises that the film is a powerful testament to the resilience of humanitarian workers who are facing the dangers of conflict.

Named in May on Time Magazine’s TIME100 Health List for leading “a heroic vaccination campaign” that reached 600,000 children in Gaza, Dr. Awadallah was one of the lead subjects of the 32-minute documentary. The film follows him and his colleague Fairuz Abu Warda, who, during short periods of last year’s ceasefire, delivered lifesaving vaccines to children across the Gaza Strip.

Watch the full document here:

UNICEF said their courage underscores a fundamental fact that when humanitarian principles are adhered to, workers are protected and given safe and timely access, lives can be saved even in the most fragile environments. The UN agency stressed that the courage of humanitarian workers, such as Dr. Awadallah and Ms. Warda, reinforces the urgent need for principled action and international accountability.

Dr. Awadallah told UN News how exhaustion, hunger and fear were part of their daily routine under constant bombardment from the air and sea.

However, their priority was to keep vaccinations effective and reach every child, he said, remembering the moments when he would see his colleagues collapse from exhaustion and then immediately return to work.

A living testimony to willpower

Dr. Awadallah points out that every scene in the vaccination campaign, from the smile of a child to the insistence of the teams to reach the farthest house despite the security difficulties and the danger of moving, reminded him that “humanitarian work cannot be retired.”

“I provide humanitarian work, and even if I retire, it does not apply to humanitarian work,” he said.

“The Silent Threat to Gaza was not just a film or a depiction of events, but a living testimony to the strength of will and the power of hope.”

He believes that every shot in the film was “a message to the world that despite the wounds, despite the death and the difficulty of life, Gaza is able to rise up and protect its children”.

Despite the risks to their lives, Dr. Awadallah and his fellow humanitarian workers in Gaza continue their work under constant bombardment.

Protecting humanitarian workers is ‘not a luxury’

“Fear knows no way to their hearts,” he said. “We hear the explosion and then we go to do our work. We are moving towards our goal and we are used to it.”

He said more than 350 medical personnel have been killed, hundreds injured and more than 1,300 arrested.

He appealed to the world that the protection of those who lend a helping hand “is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for ensuring that life and hope reach those in need”, and that it is a “humanitarian duty” that is as important as the provision of assistance itself.

Spreading hope

After decades of experience, Dr. Awadallah said he has learned that human beings have an incredible resilience beyond imagination.

“Resilience is not the absence of pain and suffering, but the ability to persevere and rise despite tragedies,” he said. “I saw mothers smiling and laughing at their children despite the bleeding and pain. I saw patients facing the pain with a smile and hope.”

Their role as humanitarian workers goes beyond providing treatment and material assistance to include “promoting and instilling hope in people’s hearts, supporting them psychologically and maintaining their strength in the face of problems”, he said.

Not just a profession

On World Humanitarian Day, Dr. Awadallah pays tribute to all those who choose to walk towards danger rather than away from it.

I believe in this business

“We are throwing ourselves into perdition for the sake of others,” he said.

Humanitarian workers in Gaza and everywhere in the world – regardless of their specialties – “are witnesses that mercy knows no boundaries and that human solidarity can flourish even during wars or amid the rubble”, he added.

He said he hopes he would be able to reunite with his family soon.

“My message today is that humanitarian work is not just a profession, but a moral and humanitarian obligation. I left my family and haven’t seen them for two years because I believe in this business.”