Jordan Times
Friday, November 12, 2004
Medecins Sans Frontieres
awarded King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — The world's largest humanitarian medical movement Medecins Sans
Frontieres (MSF) on Thursday received the prestigious King Hussein Humanitarian
Leadership Prize for its work in providing emergency humanitarian and medical
assistance to people in distress around the globe.
His Majesty King Abdullah, patron of the King Hussein Foundation (KHF),
presented the prize to MSF International Council President Dr Rowan Gillies at a
ceremony attended by officials, dignitaries and members of the Royal family.
Embodying the late King Hussein's values of leadership and commitment to peace
throughout the world, the international humanitarian organisation was honoured
yesterday for its unwavering support to millions of people suffering from wars
and natural disasters.
Her Majesty Queen Noor, KHF chair, said the MSF's mission to reach out to
suffering communities despite the threats and challenges render the organisation
truly “selfless” in its work.
“The achievements of the 2004 King Hussein prize winner truly exemplify the
value of creative and fearless leadership in the face of some of the worst
political and humanitarian crises around the world,” said Queen Noor.
“Each year, MSF provides emergency medical assistance and support services to
alleviate human suffering and restore human dignity. Everyday they overcome
adversity through selfless acts to help others. They give a voice to the
dispossessed and oppressed,” she added.
Acknowledging the mission's arduous task, Queen Noor also credited the more than
2,500 volunteers who place their lives daily on the line to carry out its duty
worldwide.
Founded in 1971, the MSF has invested its energies in assisting at-risk
communities suffering under armed conflict and other natural disasters in 80
countries, regardless of their religion or political convictions.
These countries include Angola, Cambodia, Colombia, Pakistan Afghanistan, Darfur,
Iraq and the Palestinian territories where MSF staff work side by side with some
15,000 local staff.
Gillies yesterday told the audience, which included Her Majesty Queen Rania, and
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Talal and Princess Ghida Talal, that the MSF was
honoured to receive the King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize which serves
as an encouragement to thousands of its local and foreign staff around the
world.
According to Gillies, the MSF, like other neutral and humanitarian entities, has
been facing immense and increasing struggles to carry out its mission safely.
Crisis zones have presented a growing risk to the lives of aid workers, under
what Gillies described as attempts by some to “politicise humanitarian action.”
“It is unfortunately not new for civilians to be caught up and outright attacked
in conflict, but today we see a dangerous trend of targeting those who seek to
help these civilians in their moment of greatest need. The murder of our five
colleagues in Afghanistan was a shocking testament to this development,” said
Gillies.
Gillies said the brutal assaults had forced the MSF to take a “painful decision”
to withdraw its humanitarian mission from Afghanistan after 24 years of work in
the country.
“These assaults against humanitarian organisations are not isolated, they come
against the background of increasing attempts by Western governments to co-opt
the humanitarian act by presenting combat tactics and political strategies,” he
said.
“We are told to be `with us or against us,' we are warned about a clash of
cultures, denying the universal nature of both humanitarian action and medical
ethics,” he added.
The MSF official urged all those in the field to resist such threats in order to
safeguard the neutrality and independence of such missions.
Created in 1999 in the memory of the late King Hussein, the $50,000 award is
presented annually to “individuals, groups and institutions demonstrating
exceptional humanitarian leadership in their efforts to advocate for and promote
sustainable development, human rights, equity and peace. “
Previous awardees include Professor Muhammed Yunus, founder and creator of the
Grameen Bank, whose pioneering work and vision has contributed significantly in
promoting credit-based small-scale entrepreneurship, especially among poor
women; UNRWA, for its relentless efforts in rendering humanitarian services to
millions of Palestinians in the region in the areas of education, health, and
social welfare; the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation for its outstanding
relief and humanitarian assistance in over 40 countries in the Middle East and
West Asia; and Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, for her unrelenting efforts as an advocate of
human rights in working to affect social change in her own country and in
countries ravaged by conflict for the past 35 years.