October 7, 2024
Israeli obstructions to aid and attacks on humanitarian workers: Doctors of the World’s year in the occupied Palestinian territory
Dr Paul Mushombe Nibhumba, been working for Doctors of the World since 2012 in the Ménaka region in north-east Mali, and embodies altruism and unfailing commitment in his work for the organisation.
From a very young age, Paul Mushombe Nibhumba needed to feel useful, to help others, and to give hope where there was none left. It’s a goal he still pursues today, as the organisation’s medical coordinator.
In Menaka, a region plagued by insecurity, violence and massive population displacements, Doctors of the World aims to promote access to healthcare for displaced people. The only NGO operating in the area, the organisation deploys mobile clinics and provides care to hundreds of thousands of people.
THE MASSIVE INFLUX OF DISPLACED PEOPLE IN 2022: A REAL LOGISTICAL CHALLENGE
78,841′: the number of displaced people and refugees who arrived in Menaka in 2022. It’s a figure that Paul remembers with no hesitation. Faced with this massive influx, Doctors of the World was faced with a real logistical challenge: “lack of access to healthcare, medicines, medical equipment, qualified medical staff: we were not prepared to receive such a large number of people. The situation was urgent and we had to act quickly”, recalls Paul Mushombe Mibhumba.
This was a major challenge for the organisation, which, in collaboration with its partners, put in place an emergency response to ensure that everyone had access to healthcare and the necessary aid. “We worked tirelessly to screen for disease, combat malnutrition and carry out vaccination campaigns,” recalls Paul Mushombe Mibhumba. “And enabled all these people, who had lost everything, to regain a little dignity.”
It’s an experience that has left its mark on him, and one that helps to give meaning to his day-to-day work. Restoring hope to the most vulnerable people is his greatest satisfaction.