Brown Bag Lunch: Syria

Earlier there was a brown bag lunch to update the office about MSF's involvement in Syria.  There were three presenters: someone from the field, someone from HR, and someone from the advocacy department.  Syria is not a homogeneous region.  It is filled with rival religious sects, the Sunni being the majority and the Shiite being the minority.  In 2011, Syria erupted in a civil war that is still tearing the country apart today.  MSF was among the first NGOs to respond to the crisis and now has projects run by all five operation centers: Paris, Barcelona, Brussels, Geneva, and Amsterdam.  There are a number of risks that come with having missions in Syria.  It is said that "there is no safe place in Syria."   Kidnappings are common, there have been 20-30 in the past year, and it is not outlandish for MSF hospitals to be bombed or shot.  Foreign humanitarian work calls for a specific breed.  It requires those who are willing to leave their families, travel to a distant country and risk their lives all to save the life of a complete stranger.