On this World Humanitarian Day, 19th August, members of ATE team give their thoughts on what it means to be a humanitarian aid worker. Here are the thoughts of Hub Manager and Administration, Monitoring and Evaluation Leader, Rexford Benon, here:
We are living in a world of increasing crises. I see this everywhere, very far and very near. The recent and now devastating COVID-19 is an evidence of this fact. Thousands have died. Thousands are currently in critical conditions. How are the African poor doing in this pandemic? For them, there is no denying the fact that even the news of the pandemic is scaring them to death before it gets to them.
This calls on me, one who works with very deprived and poverty stricken rural communities to be passionate, compassionate, result-oriented and hearty at the work I do knowing that my individual diligence at my work could make a bite on poverty and suffering.
This makes humanitarian aid work more of a necessity now than before. Poverty is broad which makes its susceptibility and effects very devastating. The poor is even more vulnerable in our times of the virus. The virus has intensified the suffering of the poor. There is fear and restrictions everywhere making life difficult for members of the deprived communities to be able to make any living. Selling their stored farm produce is their main source of income to feed the family. They cannot sell like they used to because markets are closed. Business is impossible for those who had to crossed over to Burkina Faso to buy and sell.
Our continuous constructive support to the poor especially now will be a sustenance to them and their families now and in the future.