A World Without Humanitarian Workers

This is a world without humanitarian workers.

A world where one newborn child receives food, and another does not.

Where the place you live determines whether you can drink clean water.

Where you have nowhere to take your child when they are in pain.

And what are the costs?

A world without humanitarian workers is an unjust world.

It’s a world where no one arrives in the moments after a disaster.

Where those facing suffering are left to themselves.

And a woman about to deliver her baby must face it without medical care.

It’s a world where no one steps in when clinics shutter, food vanishes, and homes crumble.

Abdullah lived in that world.

A father of three, Abdullah’s home in Gaza was destroyed during war. His mother, bedridden and suffering from heart disease, needed urgent medication. His children needed safety.

Like so many others in Gaza, Abdullah’s family ended up in a displacement camp. Rodents chewed through their food. His daughter broke out in a rash. His children washed their hands without soap. The medicine his mother depended on was too expensive, or too hard to find.

Then he heard that Project HOPE had opened a clinic next to their camp.

Thanks to the clinic, Abdullah and his family received clean water, hygiene items, and medical care. And his mother’s medication was waiting—free.

The Importance of Humanitarian Workers

What would happen if humanitarian workers disappeared?

Earthquake survivors like Maryory and her daughters in Venezuela would be left on their own. They would have nowhere to receive medical care, nowhere to turn for mental health support, and no access to basic hygiene items. On the long road to recovery, they would be forced to walk alone.

Girls like Nadia who have become refugees amidst war would have no support systems in their new homes. They would have no help navigating new health systems, language barriers, or complex administrative systems. They would be left on their own, forced to navigate a new country without anyone to walk alongside them.

Children without food, like Fouad in Gaza, would go hungry. There would be no one for their parents to talk to, no one who could see their children, and no doctor to treat them. No supplemental food would be given to them. They would be on their own, and like 3 million children around the world every year, they would be more likely to die of hunger.

People who have been forced to migrate due to lack of food and medical care would be on their own. No one would help mothers like Karina*, who left Venezuela for Colombia after her daughter lost a kidney due to lack of medical care.

In a world without humanitarian workers, everyone suffers.

But a world with humanitarian workers offers a different path. In that world, everyone deserves the same chance to live a full, healthy life.

In that world, all of us are stronger.

Health is a human right. You can help protect it.

Here are some actions you can take today:

1. Join the HOPE Action Network. The HOPE Action Network is a centralized hub for advocacy that is built to mobilize support for lifesaving global health programs. Sign up now.

2. Fundraise for Project HOPE. There are many ways to raise funds for Project HOPE. Learn more and start your fundraiser today.

3. Make a gift. There are many ways to support Project HOPE’s work. Make your gift today.

*Name has been changed.

Photos have been edited for illustrative purposes. Photos by Motaz Al-Aaraj, Marie Arago, Jaber Badwan, James Buck, Cognito Studios, Ernesto Constante, Charlie Cordero, Nikita Hlazyrin, and Adrián Naranjo.